Haven
by MellyHorror-Salvatore-Northman
Summary: The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive. Zombie Apocalypse. Rated: T
1. Prologue

**_Title: _Haven**

_**Summary: **_**The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. Even if the music I'm listening to is upbeat and catchy. Even if the radio promises a safe place to sit this out. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive.**

**_Rating: _T (but maybe M, I'm not really sure where this should be)**

**_Disclaimer: _I do not own Victorious, just the idea for this story. **

**Prologue**

April 15, 2012.

We'd heard about it when it started on the East coast. Slowly it engulfed the whole United States, creeping its way toward us. We had time to prepare, but preparing and practicing was never going to really prepare you for the real thing. Now the alarm was blaring over my episode of Drake and Josh, and I nearly screamed when it went off. They were here. They'd reached California.

I lay on my bed stunned for a long time until I realized I needed to get going. I swung my legs off of my bed and stood up, searching the roof for my shoes. They were tucked under my bed.

I slipped them onto my feet, packed some extra socks and flew down the steps behind Trina. Mom and dad were already in the living room bags getting topped off with the rest of the supplies we might need.

Trina was a mess, sitting on the couch quaking with fear. Dad screamed orders at us and I ended up doing both things until the car was packed and I was pushing Trina into the backseat.

People were slamming doors closed and throwing things into their cars, dad joined them hurrying into the fleeing masses. As soon as I was safe in the car I noticed my shaking hands, how my heart slammed against my ribcage trying to burst out of it, the slight whimpering sound I was making.

"Tori, listen to your pearpod." Mom whispered to me, I took off my seatbelt and scrambled into the backseat, pulling my pearpod free and pushing the buds of my headphones into my ears.

We drove for a long time, trying to get to the checkpoint at the safety center. Our doors were locked, even though nobody had seen any of those creatures. Those things. The zombies.

"Don't worry. Once we get inside we'll be okay." Mom was saying as dad leaned into the backseat and pulled up his gun bag. He handed me a gun, put one in his lap and then, slowly handed one to Trina and mom.

They had spent the time we had to prepare, pretending this wasn't happening while Dad taught me how to use different weapons, clean the guns, and figure out which guns required which ammo.

I wasn't under the delusion that everything was rainbows and sunshine, because my boyfriend had been on the East coast on vacation when the epidemic had started. He called me to tell me he was coming back, and he was on the phone with me when he died.

The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. Even if the music I'm listening to is upbeat and catchy. Even if the radio promises a safe place to sit this out. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive.


	2. Chapter 1

**_Title: _Haven**

_**Summary: **_**The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. Even if the music I'm listening to is upbeat and catchy. Even if the radio promises a safe place to sit this out. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive.**

**_Rating: _T (but maybe M, I'm not really sure where this should be)**

**_Disclaimer: _I do not own Victorious, just the idea for this story. **

Chapter 1

August 14th, 2012.

The road was far bumpier then I remembered it being four months ago. As I bounced along in the truck, my eyes peeled for any walkers while I silently prayed that I didn't pop my tires.

Thankfully neither thing happened and I made it to my destination safe. Or as safe as one can be during an apocalypse. My eyes scanned the front of the house, the windows were broken, the door busted down, the sunshine streaming through the windows onto the driveway.

The road was clear behind me and as far down the street as I remembered, unless there was a walker behind one of the six abandoned cars that were scattered around the area. I sat silently in my shut off car, loading the magazine of my Glock 17, stolen from a very headless man, watching the house for any signs of life. After 5 minutes I silently opened the door and shut it with no more then a soft click.

My feet were silent as I made my way toward the door that I nudged open with my shoe and peered into the living room. The old red couch had dark brown stains on it, there was a body on the ground. The TV had a few bullet holes in it and was nearly falling off the stand.

The fridge was over turned and the cabinet doors all stood opened, the contents clearly rifled through. Our grand piano was pretty unharmed, a few minor scratches and some blood the only marks on it.

I wandered over to it and gently pressed down on the middle C key. It sounded a little out of tune. But other then that it was almost on pitch. I played a few more notes and watch the stairs, my ears straining to hear noise that wasn't really there.

Once I was sure I was alone in the house I crept up the steps, careful to avoid the squeaky ones and moved down the hall to my old bedroom. The door stood open with an arrow in it, a blood trail down the hall lead to a mutilated corpse.

I nudged the door open and stepped through it. The room had undoubtedly been rummaged through. Drawers yanked open, corkboards and posters ripped down, bed over turned, closet doors broken, blood and bullet holes.

I stepped through the mess, seeing if there was anything left for me to use. Most of the clothes wouldn't fit. I'd lost a lot of weight, even though I was already skinny. I'm now in a 1 instead of a 2. It worries me, but there isn't much I can do.

I find a pair of shoes I can still use, and a box of pictures as well as a new journal and my old favorite book, still sitting on my shelf where I'd left it. I picked them up, so this whole trip wasn't for nothing.

I tucked them into an old bag and put it up on my back, tiptoeing back down the stairs and out to my car. I started it up again and backed out, heading toward the place I'd come to go to.

Hollywood Arts. My old high school.

When we'd first learned about the outbreak, my group of 6 friends had agreed to meet up in four months. I doubted anybody would actually show up, but I just had to try. I told myself that if nobody showed up, it was just because they were heading east, to the safety zone.

The school looked like hell. It'd been one of the evacuation zones when the infection reached California, and now it looked like it'd been ransacked, which in retrospect it probably had.

I parked my car near the entrance near the asphalt café, and shut it off. I adjusted my holster and added the gun I'd gotten from my father to it. I put my extra magazines into the pockets of my shorts and picked up my glock again.

"Here goes nothing." I muttered to myself.

I'd gotten into the habit of talking to myself, so I could prove I could still speak. Sometimes I'd even sing, if I felt it was safe, or if I was driving down the highway listening to a CD.

After scanning the lot I slipped out of my car, putting an empty bag over my back, trotting to the door. It stood ajar, saving me from having to risk it squeaking open. If it squeaked, a walker might hear it. If a walker showed up, I'd have to shoot it. That would put me in great danger.

I looked through the door first, and then crept inside, around the door. As I walked through the school my eyes found familiar things to me, ruined. Stained in blood, bullets and other various things. Everything about the once cheery place, stained in the darkness the world now was.

It was silent in school, but not normal silent. That eerie silent where you know something is wrong, and as I listened closer I heard it. The groan of a walker. The scuffle of it's feet. I looked around carefully, trying to find a silent weapon. My eyes landed on a locker covered with scissors.

I tiptoed toward it and pried a pair of the scissors from it, listening. The walker was just about to come through the hallway. It was a teacher, I knew that, but I couldn't tell which one it was through the blood, decomp, and dirt on it. Without hesitation I flung the scissors at the walker. They pierced him straight through the head, the walker dropped with a grunt.

It was just enough to attract attention, there seemed to be plenty of walkers around down the hall, and now I could see them and they'd spotted me. I ran for it, because I didn't have the bullet supply to shoot them all dead. My feet padded up the stairs and down the hall into the chem Lab, the whole time the groan of walkers drew closer.

I searched around for a weapon but came up with none, although I found a fire extinguisher, some rubbing alcohol and a lighter. Nothing helpful right now, but maybe later. I slipped through the door that connected this chem lab to another and out into the hallway.

I padded softly into the cosmetology class and rifled through the supplies, coming up with three cans of hairspray and some nail polish remover. I put those in my bag and then went to the wood shop class three doors down, planning on barricading myself inside.

The groan of zombies was close behind me when I reached the door, it was closed. The only door in the whole building closed, in fact. I reached out for the doorknob, twisted it, ducked down and almost got a bullet in the head.

If I hadn't, at the last second, ducked my brain would be splattered on the wall behind me, "Vega?" a familiar voice called, the voice cracked and when I looked up I met a set of wide green eyes on a pale thin face.

I stood up, stepped into the room and slammed the door shut behind me, relief flooding through me as my heart hammered in my chest. Without thinking I ran to her, throwing my arms around her neck in a crushing hug, burying my face in her dirty hair. I didn't care and neither did she.

Her arms wrapped around my back, crushing me against her, her face burying in the crook of my neck. I wasn't sure who was shaking, maybe both of us, but we had to lean against a table so that we didn't fall over, "I've been here for three days, I thought everyone was dead, I was so scared." Jade babbled, "Thinking I was alone, I just couldn't do it."

"Well, you're not alone." I whisper back, not needing to tell her I feared the same thing. We broke apart, still facing each other. Tears ran through the dirt on her face, cleaning paths. I reached up and brushed away her tears. It was strange to see Jade of all people breaking down.

There was a bang on the door, which jarred me back into the present. There were walkers trying to bust our door down to eat us, "I got a few things from the chem lab and cosmetology room." I told her. Jade's spine straightened as she grabbed her own bag. We dumped them out on the table and started figuring out weapons.

"I saw on a movie once they used nail guns." Jade told me, then she disappeared into the back of the woodshop room and returned with two loaded nail guns, "aim well." She showed me how to use it and then we were waiting, hidden behind two tables, "aim for the eyes and ears."

I nod, and we silently watch the door as the bodies slam against it, they haven't grasped the doorknob, thankfully. But eventually they ram it open and as the first file in we start shooting.

Eyes, ear, eye, ear, head, miss, ear, cheek, miss, eye, ear, eye, eye, between the eyes, ear, eye, eye, eye. 15 corpses lay on the ground, Jade doesn't take precautions though. She takes a sword laying on the table and cut each of their heads off.

I packed our things back into a bag and followed her out of the room. We were both silent, but walked close, arms nearly brushing. I hadn't seen another human in about 2 and one half months. Not one that was alive anyways.

"Did you drive?" she asked.

"I did." It was the simple question answer thing the whole silent walk out of the school. We only stopped when we got to the first walker I'd killed that day. I look at it for a long time, trying to figure out who it was.

"Sikowitz." Jade mumbled, "Lane was in that woodshop room when I got here."

I slowly reached over and slipped the sword from Jade's hand. I'd seen too many zombies get up after taking a weapon to the head. I took his clean off of his body, "Goodbye Sikowitz." I whispered.

Jade walked over to my locker now, where I finally spotted the date already scratched into it. August 11th, J. Now she scratched in August 14th, J&T, then a little notch that symbolized one more day of waiting before we moved on.

"I need to find a quieter car." I told her once we were back inside the rickety truck. Jade's looking into the backseat where my belongings are, she slumps in her seat, "Let's circle the area for a car and a place to sleep." She tells me.

I obey without a reply and we both scan the area for cars that look secure. We ended up finding a bigger truck. Carefully the pair of us checked over the car before breaking into it and checking it out inside.

I heard a jingle and Jade revealed some keys tucked away in the glove box, "get your stuff." She demanded. I walked back to the car, collected all of my stuff and tossed it in the back, climbing into the backseat while Jade started the truck.

I sorted through the guns in the back, checked the ammo, checked that they were empty and neatly organized them in bags on the floor. I took my bag and set it down on the right and Jade's on the left before I pulled myself into the passenger seat.

Jade had stopped outside a convenient store, but since the sun was setting we decided it was safer for us to just wait in the car. I reached into the back and pulled my food bag into my lap Jade mimicked me and we dumped our food into a pile. I sorted it back out into two piles and repacked.

"Slimjim?" I offered, taking one out for myself. Jade nodded so I handed her one as well as a can of some off brand soda I'd gotten at a cheap-o-depo department store a few cities away.

We ate in silence and played some card game Jade had made up a while ago. We didn't speak for a while; my mind kept spinning to one thing. Jade and I were probably going to end up alone with just us two. But how did we end up the only two left?

"How did you get out?" Jade asked in a soft voice. It was so uncharacteristic of her normally and it startled me, taking me a long time to processes the question, "we were all in the car, waiting to get through check point when dad had enough.

He handed me a gun, and after a few minutes of thinking it over handed one to mom and Trina. It was about 10 minutes after that when we heard the screams, people were panicking. Dad ordered us out of the car, but Trina and mom didn't move. We had to pull them out of the car and drag them behind us.

When Trina saw the first walker, she started screaming her head off. We had to run as fast as we could and smack Trina until she stopped screaming. We were okay for a few days too." I stopped talking to take my turn, the memories swimming back to the forefront of my mind. Her head…so much blood.

"We were in a clearing, mom and dad were making a small fire for us to cook and then run, when Trina and I got into a fight. We'd been arguing for days, being stuck together isn't really great for sister bonding. And we just got so loud, and so carried away…" once more I couldn't speak, I had to force down the tears threatening to build in my eyes.

Jade didn't say anything as she took her turn and let me take mine, then I could talk again, I hoped. "They got to my mom first. Sunk their teeth right into her neck and ripped it out. My mom was on the ground in a few seconds and dad put a bullet in the walkers head and one in my moms. But there were more and the next was going for my sister. Trina screamed and tried to fight back, my dad told me to run. He screamed at me that I had to go; I had to fight and live. I started running, and then Trina screamed my name."

I stopped again, her voice echoing through my head and my stomach clenched. God that sucked so much, hearing her scream my name. It ripped my heart clean out of my chest. We'd been fighting just before, and now she was calling me. But I knew it wasn't for help. "The walker was ripping her throat out, she'd just managed to scream my name. At first I thought she wanted help, but then I realized she wanted me to kill her."

Jade's eyes met mine, holding them as the green burned with sorrow. She must've truly felt bad about asking me, "so I did, I turned around and put a bullet in her head, and one in my dads and then I ran for my life. Made it to another state, got supplies, camped in a tree for a few months." I set my cards down; I had just lost the game.

I took a big gulp of my soda and a bite of my slimjim as Jade added up the points and shuffled the cards before dealing them, "what about you? How far did you make it at the check point?"

"Not very far." She replied, "dad ditched us to flee with his girlfriend, my brother and I stole a car. I tried to get us as far East as possible. We were walking in the woods though, the car broke down, and the streets were flooded. He was quick, but he tripped up. The walker came from out of nowhere, ripped his leg off. Started eating it. There was so much…" her voice cracked, a tiny bit, her eyes were gleaming with water, "so much blood and screaming. I had to-I couldn't let him come back as one of those things."

A tear rolled down my cheek, then another, and then a few more. Jade leaned forward and her thumb swiped across my cheek, wiping away the tears that had managed to escape. We were both silent for a long time until I started yawning.

"Maybe we should sleep Vega." Jade suggested, "crawl in the back, I'll find our blankets." I crawled into the backseat as she told me and curled up behind the driver's seat. A few minutes and a lot of shuffling later Jade's holding me against her so I don't fall onto the guns and my head is resting on her shoulder, "night Vega, in the morning we can go to the school to look for someone else."

"Okay, goodnight, West." I murmured, closing my eyes and listening to Jade's breathing.

**Sorry you guys, my Microsoft Word lost half of this chapter and I had to rewrite it. I hope you guys like this chapter! **


	3. Chapter 2

**_Title: _Haven**

_**Summary: **_**The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. Even if the music I'm listening to is upbeat and catchy. Even if the radio promises a safe place to sit this out. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive.**

**_Rating: _T (but maybe M, I'm not really sure where this should be)**

**_Disclaimer: _I do not own Victorious, just the idea for this story. **

**_A/N: _This isn't going to be updated often, because I have a few other stories that are my main priority, but this one is fun.**

Chapter 2

I woke up sometime later, Jade still holding me flush against her, the sun streaming through the window as it rose. Jade's still sound asleep behind me, and I find myself drifting back to dream land. I wake back up a little while later when Jade's grip on me stiffens and her hands turn to claws on my back.

"Jade!" I scream, shaking her shoulder as she thrashes violently, "Jade!" I shake her grip off of me, sit up and managed to just barely kneel between the seat and the floor to shake her awake without getting clawed to death. She sits up with a fear filled gasp and grabs her neck, eyes darting around everywhere before settling on me, when they did she visibly relaxed.

"I was so scared." She whispers. She doesn't say anything else to me; instead she sits up, "Lets go raid that place." I nod, grabbing my gun and the extra sword Jade had taken from her house when she got back into town.

We silently creep into the store. A bell jingles when we push the door aside; we both tense up, waiting to see what emerges. Nothing shows up. We enter and separate, moving to the other side of the store from the other, but keeping our eyes on the other.

We collected food, medicine, hygiene needs, and anything else we thought we might need. When we're done we head back out to the truck, Jade starts it and we drive to the school. Thankfully the truck is nearly full on gas.

We pull back up at the school and shut the truck off, "you know, once they decide they've got all the survivors they're going to blow this place to smithereens." I comment absently, gazing over at the school.

"You wanna go perform one last song?" she wonders. I look at the school; nod. We slip out of the truck and walk down to the black box theater. Jade and I each stepped up on stage, looking out into the floor area. I vividly remember this place being filled with strangers as I was shoved onto the stage to perform in my sisters place.

Jade's foot was tapping in the familiar beet of the song, "Here I am. Once again, feeling lost but now and then. I breathe it in, to let it go. And you don't know where you are now, or what it will come to, if only somebody could hear when you figure out how you're lost in the moment you disappear."

I'm lost now, flashing back to that day. Andre's playing keyboard to my left, Trina, mom and dad are watching from behind a curtain. Trina in that awful blue and white dress, mom and dad grinning with pride.

And then I'm sucked back to the present as Jade's gun fires off. My eyes fly open and there's about two-dozen walkers piling onto the stage. Jade grabs my arm and yanks me off my feet, toward back stage.

I stumble behind her and run out the back entrance, right into a bunch of walkers. We start firing rapidly, swords and bullets flying as we fight our way out, until we're separated. I guess I went one way, she went the other, I don't know really but when I broke free of the zombie horde I was alone.

"Jade!" I screeched against my better judgment. More walkers were heading my way and I scrambled to get to the other end of the parking lot. As I pass a small alcove leading into the body shop a hand reaches out to grab my arm, pulling me through the door and slamming it shut.

A scream threatens to escape me, a hand clamps over my mouth and I meet a set of dark brown eyes, dark black hair falls into those eyes and a familiar handsome face is in front of me, "Beck..." I whisper, tossing my arms around his neck in a half hug, "how are you? What a dumb question. It's good to see you."

"You too, are you alone?" he asked.

I shake my head no and then halt, "I was with…someone, but we were separated." If Jade was here, but had been bitten, I didn't want to bring it up to her ex-boyfriend. It just didn't seem right to me, for some reason, "lets go. I know where I'll find her." I gripped his arm and tugged him toward the other end of the school where we'd come in, "you with anyone?"

"Andre, he's positioned in our van outside, parked next to a huge black truck." Beck informed me, a grin split across my face, "your truck?" in the back of my mind I wondered why Beck had come in here alone.

"My truck." I confirmed with a slight laugh, and then I snapped my jaw shut and listened for walkers approaching or in rooms we were passing by. Beck was silent, even in the combat boots. I glanced down at my own feet, clad in normal tennis shoes. I'd probably be a lot safer with boots on my feet.

As we entered the main area of the school I found it void of walkers with a few new dead ones. The room still smelled like gunpowder, but one of the bodies had its head cut off. Beck didn't have a sword, Jade had been through here.

My feet carried me out the door and across the asphalt café quicker, I saw the raven hair I knew to be Jade's and let out a sigh of relief, "Jade! What happened?" I called; she spun fast and ran toward me, slamming against me in crushing hug that knocked the air from my lungs.

"I thought you'd gotten bit or something! What happened?" Jade asked, pulling away from me and staring me down with worried green eyes, searching every visible part of me for a bite or scratch.

"I found Beck." I jammed my thumb over my shoulder in his direction. Her eyes slowly lifted up, and she walked toward him, her steps faltering slightly. He was already moving toward her, and they stopped about a foot apart, looking each other over with nervous eyes.

And then Beck pulled Jade into a hug and buried his face in her neck. I turned away to give him privacy and my eyes found Andre, sitting a top the van, looking over the fence. I found the ladder he'd used to climb up, placed a foot on one rung and my hand on another and pulled myself up, leaving the reunited couple behind me.

When I sat down, Andre turned his head toward me, our eyes met and he gave me the briefest half smile and returned to his watch. My eyes stared out over the fence taking in the ruins of what used to be my hometown.

"Looks pretty different, doesn't it?" Andre whispered, he sounded different. Scared, alone. I forced my eyes to drag away from the coffee shop and meet Andre's brown eyes. He was watching me closely, but his eyes slowly flickered toward the streets every once in awhile. I knew that I probably looked as different as he did. But I hadn't seen myself in a mirror in months.

Andre's arms were thicker, his hair was unruly, and his were clothes rumpled and dirty. The exposed part of his leg showed they two were thicker with muscle, and his face looked more aged, his eyes seemed to hold years of knowledge where four months ago there was just a joyful gleam.

"Yes, it does." I finally replied my eyes flicked down to Jade and Beck. Jade was leaning on the truck next to Beck, who was talking to her but watching us. She seemed to be ignoring him, her eyes on her hands, ringing them in front of her and playing with the rings on her thin fingers. I turned my eyes away and looked back across the road.

After a few minutes Beck pulled himself up onto the van and sat next to Andre putting him between us, and soon Jade followed, sitting on the other side of me putting Andre and I between her and Beck, "where to now?" Andre asked before I could further assess the situation.

"Cat was telling me about Haven. Maybe she's made it there by now." Beck whispered almost silently. Jade and I both sat forward, looking over at Beck, "She got lucky. Got in with a group. I decided to tell her we canceled the meeting. I didn't want to risk her life."

"Good call." Jade and I spoke together, and then I continued, "I heard about Haven, too. From more then a few people. They say it's in Florida, where the outbreak started, that they already cleaned it up and are rebuilding the cities taking in anybody uninfected."

"That's what I heard too." Andre agreed, Jade nodded, "Maybe we should head out. Traveling in pairs seems like a good idea, we can switch if we feel like we're going crazy with whoever we've been with."

"I'm with Vega." Jade said almost instantly, "I can shoot her, but I don't think I can make myself shoot either of you." With that said she stood, climbed down the ladder and locked herself in the truck.

"That's a comfort." I muttered, I was being serious too. I needed to be with someone who would shoot me before I came back.

"Don't take it personal..." Beck started to say, like I had meant the words sarcastically.

"Life is too unsure to take anything personal. I wasn't being sarcastic. If I get bit I want someone to kill me, take my head off, I don't want to come back as a walker, and if you get bit I'll force myself to shoot you, too. But Jade's right. She's been friends with you guys for a long time, it'll be harder for her to shoot you, especially you Beck, so it's better if she's with me, because she wouldn't bat an eye." I stood up, grabbing my gun, and climbing down the ladder, "I'm sure you two can make yourselves shoot each other, but could you kill Jade? Or me?" They just stared down at me blankly.

It told me what I needed to know; they couldn't.

Jade unlocked the truck when I walked over and I climbed into the passenger seat, "tell them we start now, but we need to find a Wal-Mart to hit, or some other big chain store. Let them lead, we'll follow behind." I sighed and leaned down to grab some walkie-talkies, I handed Jade the green one, took the dark purple one for myself and hopped out of the truck.

Beck and Andre were standing outside their van, looking around trying to form a plan, "Jade says we head to Haven. You guys lead, but before nightfall we need to find some stores to raid. Here are some walkies; the channel is already set. Each of us has one now, but lets keep the channel clear unless we need to talk or something. Important somethings."

"Alright, I'll drive for now." Beck told Andre, feeling like I'd been dismissed I spun and headed back to the truck, pulling myself up and into my seat, jerking the door shut behind me.

"Get ready to go." I told her, she nodded and put on her seatbelt, I followed her example, "rule number four, seatbelts." I said it mostly to myself, but Jade heard me.

"I thought it was rule number three."

"I think that's beware of bathrooms." I shrugged, "I've only seen it the one time you made me watch it, and that was a long time ago." I crossed my legs and pulled one of my shoes off, observing the way there was a small hole forming in them.

"We should get you some new shoes at Wal-Mart, and keep an eye out for some combat boots." Jade observed, her eyes were still on the van that hadn't even been started. I picked up my walkie.

"You guys going anytime soon?" I asked.

There was a five minute pause and then, _we're going, we're going._ And they started the van and pulled out of the area they were in, heading for the open gates. The road was still just as deserted as I'd remembered it being when I drove into town, and it was too depressing to watch, so I turned my eyes to Jade.

She was in a tank top and a pair of cotton shorts now, but I knew she'd been in jeans before, but I just brushed the thought away as I took in her long muscular legs. Her tank top was baggy, but the arms were large around her arms and the bottom of them were below her bra and I could see the bones of her collar bone more prominently then I remembered, and her shoulders were sharp, but her arms were full of muscle more then I had.

"Vega, quit staring." Jade warned, but her voice held no real threat. Regardless I dragged my eyes up to her face, she was watching me with her eyes flicking toward the road once in awhile. Four months ago she'd be glaring at me for even looking at her, let alone staring.

"Sorry, it's just shocking, how much people can change in four months."

"You haven't looked in a mirror lately have you?" she asked me, I shook my head no, but I knew I'd lost weight and gained hardly any muscle. I could see my hipbones, my shoulders, and sometimes my ribs. My arms had a little more muscle then normal, but they were nowhere near as defined as Jade's were.

I shifted in my seat to grab my bag from the backseat, pulling out my CD case, most of the CD's weren't mine, I'd collected them from various cars I'd been in, and I was now pulling out CD's from the console and adding them to my case, flicking through the pages until I found music with no words.

I showed it to Jade, who nodded, and then I pushed it into the CD player and the soft melody filled the truck. The music caught up my mind and I blocked everything else, riding with the notes to a far away land. It was the first time I'd gotten to do so in a long time and it was really relaxing.

It was an hour late when Jade finally pulled me back into Hell, "did you ever find a new group to travel with, or have you been alone the whole time?"

"I had a group for two months. But I left to head back here, they went to Haven. It was a group of men, and a little girl, so they didn't really mind me leaving. I think they were almost thankful." I answered, a small smile on my face as I remembered the four men group, "their names were Taz, Tanya, Jake, Tyson and Chance. They were really nice, for the most part, but sometimes they could go a bit crazy. Then again, everyone can. What about you? Did you find a group?"

"I found a few people and one small group before I headed back here. I don't remember many names, but I do remember Wade and Timmy, they were in the group I was in and saved my ass a few times." She chuckled like it was a fond memory; then again you had to take what you could get now.

Heck, this could be a new fond memory for the pair of us.

_Wal-Mart up ahead, you wanna stop? _Andre's voice filled the car in stereo. We agreed to turn Jade's off when we were in the car. I picked up the small walkie, "yeah. Just keep quiet. This place was infested when I came through."

We pulled into the large parking lot, got the guns and swords we were going to use and covered the guns with blankets in a haphazard way, so it didn't look as if we'd been covering them.

"Nobody splits up out of sight." Beck said, taking control, "since Andre and I have been with each other for two weeks, and know how the other works, I'll go with him. It seems like you two have your own groove, so go ahead."

"We'll take the right side of the store, you take the left. No walkies. Once you get your shit, leave. Meet us down at the gas station down the block. We'll walkie you when we're out and drive to meet you." Jade added in, grabbing my arm and yanking me into the Wal-Mart.

On the right were the sports, furniture and clothing. She'd been trusting Andre and Beck to find food, but I think that was because we were fine for a few more days before we needed to find food.

We walked silently through the aisles of candy, and I grabbed a few to stuff into my bag, and then into the clothing department. We blindly grabbed clothing, stuffing the items into bags and some of it even onto us. Jade shimmied into a pair of jeans and put two pairs of boxers on over that. I mimicked her.

We grabbed newer bras, some tank tops, jackets, shoes (and upon a guess shoes for the guys as well), socks, and underwear. We moved onto soap, perfume, deodorant, baby power, wipes, disinfectant, band-aids. I grabbed some sea salt as we passed by a few bottles.

In the sporting area we found some knives, wires, rope, a shovel, two axes, and machete. We stopped in the hair care aisle and grabbed some hair ties and pins and then we headed out to our car. No walkers.

Once we were back in the truck we looked around, Andre and Beck's van was still parked in front of us, but the door for the passenger seat was hanging open. I grabbed Jade's sword and signaled her to be silent as I slid out of the truck, walking toward their van.

I reached out and pushed the door further open, cautiously leaning inside to look at who was inside. It was Andre, alone, "where's Beck?" I asked, he jumped about a foot, turning around and pressing his hand to his chest.

"He was behind me…." Andre dove out of the van and looked around, I motioned to Jade to come out of the truck. She brought the machete with her, I explained what had happened and we all walked back into the Wal-Mart.

We could decide how good of an idea it would be to make noise, what if Beck was hiding? "Well, lets just get this over with." Jade finally decided. She picked a phone near the register up, did something and I heard the beep of the intercom, "where the hell are you?" she yelled. Her voice boomed through the empty store.

"Great, Jade. Just great." Andre complained.

"What walker is gunna know where it came from?" Jade countered, it wasn't too much long that Beck came careening around an aisle and not even two steps behind him were three walkers.

"Thanks Jade!" Beck called, I couldn't say whether he was mad or not, because he was running. But he skidded around the aisles and the four of us darted out of the store, but Jade and I stopped outside the door.

"Wait and cut the heads off." She told me. I nodded and when the walkers came out the door I swung. Blood splattered across me and there was a wet _thunk _as the head hit the ground. I looked over at Jade; she too was covered in blood, mostly her shirt.

I looked down, mine was ruined, but the third walker was running through the doors. I swung quick and sliced through his neck, his head hit the ground with a thud and blood splattered across my arm.

Without hesitation I pulled my shirt off and wiped my arm down, then the blade and found a clean spot to wipe my face off, "what happened to you?" Jade was right behind me, her hand hovering by my back.

I ignored her and walked to the truck, pulling out a clean shirt and tugging it down over my head, "can we leave before more things possible pop up in the Wal-Mart?" I hopped into the truck before she could answer.

Jade sighed and motioned that she was going to talk to Beck and Andre, so I curled up in my seat and pressed my head against the cool window, my eyes falling closed. When my lids closed and I was swallowed by darkness a face floated around my vision.

She was only 10 or 11. Her name was Tanya, she had a mop of unruly curly blonde hair, wide blue eyes and freckled cheeks. Even in his Hell she'd always managed to keep a smile on her face, even with the gun tucked into the holster at her side.

She reminded me of Cat, she was always so bubbly and positive, cracking jokes and telling stories. Her dad, Taz, is where she got her blue eyes and freckles from, but the blonde hair was not his. He had dark black hair.

But she had his good-natured humor. Since I was the only girl in the group, I was in charge of her bathroom stops; I had to protect her. She was just a little girl, so I still don't know _why _they wanted to take her.

Two men came up behind me while I was peeing, she was watching the other way while I started to unbutton my shirt. The guy grabbed me from behind, pressing his hand over my mouth and hauling me off my feet.

Another grabbed Tanya, but she screamed and he slapped her hard. I fought with the guy holding me as hard as I could, thrashing about violently. He got angry, pressed a knife to my back and forced me to my knees while the first guy tried to get a grip on Tanya to carry her off, I hoped.

When Tanya's blue eyes met mine, however. I couldn't sit still. She was terrified and none of the guys seemed to be coming to our aid. I forced myself up, the guy's knife slicing down my back and sending a searing pain through my whole body, but I managed to slip out of his grip and elbow him in the face.

The second guy finally got a hold of Tanya; I had to chase him, so far for so long. And then he threatened to kill her, holding a knife to her throat. Everything happened so fast after that, the walker emerged, I screamed for Tanya to run and shot the guy in the head, twice.

He let her go with a minor cut on her neck and she ran, the walker was more of a runner, and he followed. I tried to shoot him, I really did, but I missed. My vision was blurred and I could hardly stay on my feet, let alone chase after the walker.

So I did the one thing I knew I could, I screamed and shrieked and thrashed around, feeling the cut on my back open wider. The walker turned and rounded on me just as Taz and the guys bounded in and took him out, then I collapsed on the ground, falling unconscious minutes later.

Tyson told me Taz had carried me back to our truck and treated my wounds, but I was out of it for days afterwards, almost positive the guy had something in his hand he'd shoved over my nose, so I could have been pulled apart for dinner for all I knew that whole time. When I finally woke up I learned that they had lost Tanya in the chaos.

A knock on the window by my ear jarred me out of my thoughts, I looked down to see Jade, "You locked the doors inside the car, Vega. Let me in." she started walking around to the front of the truck while I leaned over and pushed the button to unlock the door.

She pulled herself into her seat, jammed the keys in the ignition, started the car and we were off, heading down the road, where we stopped at a gas station before driving off into the sunset.


	4. Chapter 3

**_Title: _Haven**

_**Summary: **_**The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. Even if the music I'm listening to is upbeat and catchy. Even if the radio promises a safe place to sit this out. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive.**

**_Rating: _T (but maybe M, I'm not really sure where this should be)**

**_Disclaimer: _I do not own Victorious, just the idea for this story.**

**Chapter 3**

Two days later we were camped out on the highway somewhere in Arizona, the boys had gone to find a new car for them to use (they had run out of gas halfway through the highway), and since Jade insisted on us staying in pairs of two, Jade and I were currently perched on the hood of our truck, watching the highway we'd stopped on. It'd been bothering me for the past two days how Jade actively avoided Beck, and every night she snuggled up next to me, holding me like a lifeline. I'd expected her to attach herself to Beck surgically the second she saw him, but instead she was placing me between them like a human wedge.

"What are you lost in thought about now?" Jade asked me suddenly, startling me out of my thoughts, I nearly jumped which would have sucked because we were on top of the truck and it was a long way to the asphalt.

"You." I told her honestly, turning my head in her direction, "why are you avoiding Beck? In case you loose him?" Might as well be blunt, no reason to lie to the person helping you stay alive.

"I don't know, I just trust you more to do the right thing if I get bitten." Jade whispered her eyes seem to be focusing far away, "I love Beck, I always will. But I don't think he'll have the heart to kill me. Even if I'm already dead."

I nodded silently, chewing on my bottom lip.

"Why are you avoiding Andre?" she countered, "you two were all chummy before. What changed?"

"Everything. He's not the same, I'm not the same, the worlds not the same. It's only been four months, but a whole new friendship is going to have to be built between all of us. I haven't seen him or Beck take out a single walker. But you saved me, which makes you the person I want to be with through this." I told her, "I was just unsure of why you picked me."

"It's not because I hate you, Vega." She replied. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted movement and spun my head, "walker." She muttered. I looked around to find Beck or Andre, but neither of them were anywhere in my line of sight, which was both good and bad, even though it was just one walker who knows how many are lurking about. "You stay up here. I'll take care of it." Jade told me, hopping down off of the truck and tiptoeing up to the walker. She cut its head clean off before the walker heard her coming. She was back on the roof in a matter of minutes.

"The boys still aren't back. Should we go look?" I asked, it was approaching nightfall and in a few hours we were all going to be tucked into the truck asleep. Jade thought about it for a moment and then nodded, so we climbed down into the truck and started driving off in the direction they'd gone in.

About 15 minutes down the road we found them trying to hot wire a car, they weren't having very much luck, and Jade tried to walk them through it but quickly gave up, shoving them out of the way and starting it for them.

"You two are pathetic." She joked before hoping back into the cab of our truck, "We're going to not stop until we reach Santa Fe, except for gas and if a car breaks down." She rolls her window up and we roll slowly forward for a few minutes until Jade presses down on the pedal, the truck chugs and then we're flying down the highway as fast as we can, the boys behind us.

"Tori, are you alright?" Jade asks me an hour later. I'm slumped in my seat staring out the window blankly.

"I'm as alright as I can be. It's just a hard day." I point to the clock, "It's been exactly four months since my family died." Jade glances at the clock briefly, one of her hands reaches over to me and she takes my hand in hers silently. I didn't expect the gesture to make me feel any better, but it did and I let my thoughts fly away as I stared out the window, for some reason one of Trina's favorite songs popped into my head, the truck was silent though, but I just needed to hear it.

I dropped Jade's hand and spun so I could dig in the back for the CD case, once I found it I flipped through the CD's until I found a mixed CD and I pushed it into the player, flipping to track 5 and turning the music up.

The familiar notes filled the car and Jade leaned forward and turned it up louder, it blasted through the truck, but that didn't matter since we were on the highway, I hauled in a deep breath before I sang along.

"Oh, thinking about all our younger years, There was only you and me, We were young and wild and free, Now nothing can take you away from me, We've been down that road before, But that's over now, You keep me coming back for more." Jade reached over again and took my hand, tugging me from the passenger seat to the middle seat beside her as we sung along.

When we finally reached Santa Fe the music was off and we were silent. The only thing that told us that were in Santa Fe was the welcome to Santa Fe sign we passed, it was filled with bullet holes. As soon as we entered Jade picked up the walkie talkie, "Hey boys, we need to find a place to stop for the night so we can search for food in the morning."

"Alright. We'll speed ahead and find one. Just keep going straight." Beck cut around us and zipped off. His car was smaller and it was able to go faster and quieter then our huge truck, but our truck held a lot more supplies then theirs did, in fact the whole covered bed of the truck was filled with guns and ammo.

It wasn't long before the boys car appeared again, "take the next left." Beck's voice crackled over the radio, we did as instructed and found ourselves outside of a Walmart, once more.

"See you in the morning." Jade said through the walkie talkie before she shut it off and put it down. We went through our nightly ritual of brushing out our hair and crawling into the back to huddle under a blanket squished together. Jade fell asleep almost instantly, but I stayed awake and stared at the sky through the moon roof for nearly twenty minutes before I shut the cover so nothing that climbed on top of the car could see us.

The whole back was invisible to anyone outside of the car, thanks to some paint and blankets, windows in supermarkets are used to show off food, we're the food and the truck would act as the market if a walker happened to go past the truck and look in he might realize we were food. I snuggled into Jade's side, in her sleep her arms tightened around me and soon I, too, fell asleep.

Except for I fell into a horrible dream. I was in the woods where we'd lost Tanya. I was alone and naked, for what reason I don't know. Leaves crunched under my feet and twigs snapped. I could feel sharp rocks cutting the soles of my feet and shoes laid around at random, though I never bothered to put them on. The cuts didn't hurt so much as tingled unpleasantly.

I heard a scream and running, sounds of panic. I started walking faster until I was running, cool air ripping at my bare skin, cutting me. I stopped to examine my arms. They were covered in thin cuts, blood bubbled out of them slowly and trickled down my arms before freezing completely. It was like my arms were crying.

The scream broke me out of my stupor and I was off running again. Jade, my mind thought, that was Jade. I heard the groan of zombies, more screaming, screams of help. Beck and Andre. Jade screamed again. I ran faster. It seemed as though my running was only making me get father away. A new scream, Cat. I ran hard, my feet slamming against the ground. Another scream, Robbie. A mix of screams, my parents. Pained shrieks. Trina.

Tears spilled down my face, I couldn't find them, I couldn't reach them. Running didn't help, I might've been on a treadmill for all the good running did me. Anger coursed through me as the scene around me finally changed. "Tori! Help me!" My eyes went wide as I watched a zombie sink his teeth into Jade's throat and he ripped his head back, Jade's neck going with it, hanging from his teeth, "Tori…" Jade's voice filled my head as her green eyes faded from bright to dull and lifeless.

The walker let her drop to the ground and crawled over her, eating her with haste. All around me the bodies of my dead friends were being eaten and I couldn't do anything I just stood there, watching Jade until the walkers were gone, their dead bodies were left. And now they were getting up, walking toward me.

"You let them kill us, Tori." Trina.

"Why didn't you save us, Tori?" Cat and Robbie.

"Tori, why are you so useless?" Andre and Beck.

"Why'd you let them kill us?" Mom and Dad.

"I thought you cared, Tori." Jade. They all jumped me at once, nails and teeth ripping the flesh from my body, tearing me pieces. I didn't care; my body fell to the ground as they devoured me.

"Tori! Tori!" A stinging burned my face and I sat up, falling to the floor. Jade was sitting up, leaning over me with a worried look, "you sounded like you were being eaten!" Jade's whispered words sounded like a hiss.

"I was." I whispered. She sat back in shock, her jaw hanging open as she gasped like a fish out of water for something to say before she finally reached down and helped me up onto the seat again. It was morning now, thankfully, and Jade said the guys had already gotten up and raided the store for us, she pointed to our breakfast-doughnuts. I crawled over into the front seat with Jade and ate silently.

"You wanna talk about your dream." I shook my head as I stuffed my face, but found myself telling Jade about the dream anyways. She sat there, staring at her hands while I talked, chewing slowly on the doughnut. When I was done she looked up at me and just smiled softly, "it was just a dream Vega. I'm still alive and so are Beck and Andre."

I forced a smile in return to her as I settled back in my seat carefully. My heart hammering in my ears still. I closed my eyes and slowly let the breath leave my body until I was coughing from the lack of oxygen, after which I hauled in a deep breath and opened my eyes. The truck rumbled to life beneath me and I watched Jade pluck the walkie from its cup holder.

"Glad you boys found another car, let's get moving." She demanded. I glanced out the window at the tiny red truck the boys were packing up. Beck nodded, his hands full of clothing he was stuffing into the cab, "by the way, the boys found some combat boots for you."

I glanced down at the box sitting between us, a pair of combat boots sat wrapped in white tissue paper in a red box. I shoved my shoes off and pulled the boots onto my feet, slowly lacing them up and tightening them on my feet, perfect fit. I planted my feet on the floor and stared out the window as the buildings, dilapidated, looted, and destroyed, blurred past me until we reached the highway and we once again zipped through the states.

The days were a blur of driving, looting, eating, and existing. Nothing happened, really, we didn't talk unless it was to switch drivers, offer food, or just to prove that we could. Mostly just commenting that I might rain, or that there was a walker. The CD's were constantly rotating through our player, the walkies stayed silent and a wedge was driven between us and the guys that wouldn't be lifted as long as we were out on the road.

We'd reached Florida weeks later, all of us barely speaking, when our truck finally bit the dust. "Hey guys, the trucks done for." I called over the walkie, watching steam roll from the hood, "we need to find a new one."

Their little truck rolled to a stop, too, and Jade and I crawled out of ours, setting out on foot back down the highway silently, both of our thoughts on the van we'd seen a few blocks back. The guys stayed with our truck and Jade and I each had a gun in our hands and a sword on our backs.

I kept look out while Jade swept the van for walkers and then prayed to find keys, which she did. The van spluttered when she tried to start it and I heard her growl in frustration before she finally got it to rumble to life. I crawled into the back and she tore off toward the truck.

When we reached it we transferred our things slowly into the back of the rather roomy van. The boys helped us silently, the first time we'd done anything as a major group. Andre stood watch a top the van while Beck helped us haul guns from the bed into the back of the van. I stood in the bed, lowering guns to him while Jade hauled our food supply.

"Guys! Walkers!" Andre suddenly yelled, jumping down from the van and running toward their truck to get it started. Beck threw his armful of guns into the back of the van and turned to watch the mass of walkers running toward us quickly. He stumbled a bit in his rush to get to the truck while Jade tried to start the car. I held carefully onto the ammo in my arms as I scrambled to get out of the back of the truck, tossing the ammo into the back of the van, a box of bullets slipping from my grasp and falling below my feet. I stumbled a bit, falling face first toward the van as I heard it finally start.

The walkers were getting closer and closer, my heart hammered in my ears as I scrambled to get to my feet but I kept slipping on the bullets. I grasped around trying to get a hold of something to haul myself into the van. I found it in Jade's arm, she grabbed me and pulled me brutally into the van, my ribs slammed into the bottom of the van as she gave me a vicious yank, slamming the door closed once I was gasping for air on the floor. She got into the drivers seat and sped off as soon as the door was closed.

My heart was beating in my throat and my ribs were on fire, my vision spotted and I remember taking a gasp of air only to feel a sharp pain and scream out as I lost consciousness.

I woke up sometime later to find the sky out the window dark. Jade was sitting by me, the van still, picking at some chips. She looked down at me, her green eyes darker then normal, her face somber, "what?" I wheezed. My whole face pulled in pain and I looked down at my ribs.

I was laying on the van floor in nothing more then my bra and a panties. An ace bandage was wrapped around my rib cage and there were bandages on my hip, knee and thigh. I turned back to Jade, fearing the worst.

"You weren't bitten, but I broke your ribs." She whispered. I forced myself into a sitting position beside her, "I'm sorry."

"A few broken ribs in exchange for not being zombie food? I don't give a shit Jade." I told her, "who patched me up?"

"Me."

"Like my scars?" I joked lightly.

"I gave you more." She looked down at my legs.

"I'll never forget you, then." I shrugged, "thank you, Jade."

"I'm sorry." She whispered again, a muffled sob breaking through her mouth. I reached over and swung my arm over her shoulder, pulling her down into a hug. She carefully wrapped her arms around my stomach and buried her face in the crook of my neck, breaking into a hysterical crying episode.

It wasn't uncommon for her, me, Andre or Beck to have a sudden breakdown. It happened sporadically on the trip, usually kept just between the pair of us. But sometimes I could see Andre in a blind crying rage, crawling out of his van and destroying a nearby car until he sunk against it sobbing. Or I'd see Beck talking to himself, angry tears pouring down his face.

We were all broken, unfixable, and in need of each other. But the boys preferred to break down alone, where all I wanted was to crawl into Jade's arms and sob, because she'd keep me safe no matter what. I held her closer, tighter, and she squeezed me back, hurting my ribs. I didn't care. I pressed my face against her head and let my own tears spill down my face, both from the pain of my ribs and the ever constant guilt I felt about everything I'd been through and done since this started five months ago.

**I promise longer updates soon since I now have a clue what I'll be doing with this story and I've only got three to juggle now. I hope you enjoy this rather sad update. And I mean sad like I got stuck writing this chapter and I'm sorry.**


	5. Chapter 4

**_Title: _Haven**

_**Summary: **_**The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. Even if the music I'm listening to is upbeat and catchy. Even if the radio promises a safe place to sit this out. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive.**

**_Rating: _T (but maybe M, I'm not really sure where this should be)**

**_Disclaimer: _I do not own Victorious, just the idea for this story.**

**_AN: _This chapter took a lot longer then I thought it would be, hope you guys like it!**

Chapter 4

"Come on Vega!" Jade was calling, shaking my shoulder softly. "There's a shower." She grinned. I've never sat up so fast in my life. Jade was laughing happily now as she opened the door to the van for me.

I carefully sat up, swinging my legs out of the van and standing up. We were inside someone's garage, the house had been deemed safe by Jade and the boys finally, why I passed out in the back of the truck. Jade helped me up the steps and into the house to a tiny bathroom on the first floor.

"The boys took the two bathrooms upstairs, so we'll have to share This one, which is better for you anyways, I'll be closer if you hurt yourself again." She dropped her bag down on the toilet, mine on the counter and turned to me, "are you okay?" my ribs were throbbing and so was my head, but I nod that I'm fine and fake a yawn. She digs in her bag to get shampoo, soap and conditioner, setting them in the shower.

"Just tired. You can shower first. I want to brush out my hair." She shrugs and yanks her shirt off, tossing it onto the floor along with her bra, boots, underwear, and shorts. She steps into the shower pulling the almost useless clear curtain closed. I keep my eyes on my reflection as I brush the tangles out of my hair. It takes me nearly all of Jade's 40 minute shower to get the tangles out.

"Can you grab my towel out of my bag?" shocked from the question and the sudden silence in the bathroom I look up at Jade in the mirror, my face turning red when I realize what I just did. She smirks but cocks her studded eyebrow at me in question.

"Uh yeah.." I glance at the bag on the toilet and unzip it quickly digging around through her clothes until I find a blood red towel buried near the bottom. I pick it up and turn around holding it out to her while looking at the floor.

She snatches it from my hands laughing as she steps out, throwing her hair over her head and then flipping it back, she turns to look at me and just laughs again, "I'll sit over here and brush my hair. You can borrow my stuff if you want." She chuckles.

I scowl at her and mutter a thank you as I carefully tug my shirt over my head. I drop it on the ground beside Jade's pile of dirty clothes and then kick my boots off while I unbutton my jeans. My ribs are throbbing and when I bend to peel them from my legs I hear a pop in them and tears burn my eyes. I finally get the jeans off and quickly peel off my underwear before jumping under the hot water.

I kept my back to Jade and watched as the brown murky water swirled down the drain. I soaped up my skin first, wanting to at least get that done. I ended up washing my skin at least twice before I massage shampoo into my hair twice. It instantly stops itching. I sigh in relief as I lazily conditioned my hair, running my fingers through it, pulling hair out each time.

Eventually I give up and rinse the conditioner out, "Jade, can you hand me my towel?"

"Yeah sure." I turn and watch Jade rummage through my bag before she holds the towel out behind her back, putting her bag back onto the toilet lid. I take the towel and dry off my skin before wrapping it around my chest. I snatch my bag from the floor and grab a clean bra, a pair of underwear.

I pulled them on under my towel and then took the towel off to dry my hair. Once I'm done I pull on a pair of camouflage pants we'd all gotten at an army surplus store when we'd arrived in Florida. I tugged on a black t-shirt, wincing as I pulled it down.

"Lift your shirt, Vega." I give her a nervous glance and take a step back, "I'm not going to eat you. I want to wrap your ribs for a little bit and we can get you some pain meds later."

I carefully roll my shirt up and let Jade wrap the ace bandage around my ribs before we pack our dirty clothes into an extra bag we'd brought. I tied my hair up in a low ponytail before we silently stepped out of the bathroom. I scanned the kitchen we stepped into and then motioned for Jade to follow me out while I scanned the surrounding rooms.

I could hear her silently digging around in the fridge, "they have power here. So we must be close to Haven." Jade observes. I nod slowly, "Here's an ice pack, up on the counter." She pats the island in the center of the kitchen. I drop my bags on the ground and carefully pull myself up onto the counter, stretching out.

Jade lays the icepack across my ribs and gets a second one to pin against the right side of my ribcage where I got the most damage. "Thanks for this." I whisper. She glances down at me and shrugs.

"It's the least I can do since I did this to you." She gives me a guilty look and then rests her head on her hand. I close my eyes and feel the cold ice burning my ribs. Tears burn my eyes and I want to throw the ice off, "it'll stop burning soon." Jade reassures me when I start fidgeting.

"Hey, where are you guys?" I hear Andre call, my eyes snap open.

"Kitchen." Jade calls back, the boys walk in, glance at me and hop up on the counter, "so I'm guess we're somewhere close to Haven since this place has power so we could just spend a few days wandering around looking for people or signs or something."

"We could, but we'll need to be careful and watchful of the skies. It's still hurricane season and it did rain a few days before we got here, we don't need to get trapped in a car with a bunch of walkers after us in the rain. It won't hinder them but we'll be screwed." Andre comments, rubbing the back of his head and looking down. I could tell he was uncomfortable around us still, and to tell the truth I was more comfortable being around Jade then either of them, and that was a shock in itself.

"Alright well we can get a move on after she's done being iced. Go raid their shit I guess." Jade tells them, they take the opportunity eagerly and disappear in a blink. I sigh and sag against the counter, trying to ignore the burning of the ice, "I'm really sorry I did this."

"Its fine Jade, it's not like you meant it or anything. You were saving my life." I paused when my lungs expanded too far and hit the ribs, "so quit apologizing." Jade rolled her eyes at me and sat on the counter beside me, pressing down gently on the ice to help it seep through the Ace bandage, or at least that's what I was going to tell myself she was doing it for.

After the fifteen minutes of ice she helped me off the counter, we got our bags found the boys and got back into our cars. I checked the back of the van, grabbed a blanket and plopped down in the passenger seat while Jade started the van. Once the boys got their truck started she opened the garage door with the little opener and checked behind us. No zombies so far.

Andre backed out first and Jade followed after him, I dug around in the back and grabbed our CD case, picked a random CD and put it in the player to put a soft under layer to the silent car ride, "we should really get down to one car eventually. And work together sometime, we used to be friends." I whispered.

"We can talk about it later." Jade leaned forward and turned up the radio. I leaned forward and turned it back down, "Vega, come on, I really don't want to talk about it."

"Jade, we can't keep this split thing, I have broken ribs I'm basically useless, so when I die who the hell is going to watch your back? The boys you froze out when we found them? Come on, this isn't about you feeling comfortable, this is about us not dying for being stubborn."

"You just want everything back to normal, you think by us hanging out again things will go back to normal, but let me tell you miss Happy Sunshine, they wont." She snarled. She was so damn stubborn it was ridiculous.

"This is not about things going back to normal Jade! I don't give a shit if we're ever friends again, I want to make our chance of reaching Haven a little better than none, so excuse me." I leaned forward trying not to wince and turned the radio up; shifting so I was watching out the window.

"Fine." I heard her mumble, I grinned out the window happy that I had won this argument, "guys Tori had an idea…." I space out while she explains my idea to them, but I catch on that they agree and start the search for a bigger car so that we could all fit inside with the weapons. It took about two hours to find a van that was running and we quickly moved everything into it.

Beck offered to drive, Andre took shot gun and Jade and I stretched out on the bench seat in the back. The drive was silent at first, and tense, you could probably cut the tension with a knife.

The thought made me laugh and everyone looked at me, "sorry I was thinking about how you could cut the tension with a knife and I kept picturing Scooby Doo cutting the fog with a knife."

"Only you, Vega," Jade laughs with a smile at me, "do you guys have any CD's or can we talk? This silence is driving her crazy." She nudges my shoulder playfully and then instantly moves away from me.

"There should be some CD's in the back in the orange duffle bag." Beck offers, "and if you guys have any we could look through those, too." Jade reaches around to find their bag while I fish out our CD's.

None of us could decide on a CD so we were silent, after Beck tried to radio, vainly hoping Haven was broadcasting its position, but they weren't. Instead we just stared at each other.

"I hate to ask, but how have you guys been faring? When did you catch up to each other?" I couldn't take anymore quiet or I was going to go crazy, and it would be really soon because my god, I couldn't handle it.

Beck opens up first, "My family and I made it to Canada to find the rest of our family before we were attacked and my dad got bit, so while we ran he stayed behind to fight them off. We made it like another mile before we were attacked again and I had to kill my mom, and I ditched my aunt, uncle and cousin to come back." Beck says, "And Andre and I found each other a few days before we reached the school. You?"

I'd forgotten only Jade knew about my story, "my family lasted a few days before we were attacked and they all died." I replied, keeping the part of it being mine and Trina's fault out, "I had to shoot my sister and dad. And Jade and I found each other a day before you showed up with Andre."

Beck and I leave the silence to the next person, but Andre and Jade are keeping their mouths sealed tight, "anyone know about Robbie?" I throw out there. Beck and Andre look at each other and Andre turns in his seat.

"Well this is going to sound really stupid, but we found Rex, he was in okay condition so we grabbed him just incase."

"Yeah I saw him in the backpack." Jade comments.

"I haven't seen Robbie since that day we agreed to meet, but I think he'd be too scared to go back, hopefully he made it to Haven." Andre turns back around shifting uncomfortably in his seat, "and my family made it a day and a half before we were attacked and only my cousin and I made it, and then I ditched him to come back to you guys."

Which meant Jade and I were the only ones without any loved ones left alive, Jade reaches across the seat and takes my hand silently, "my dad ditched us with his girlfriend and my brother died two days after." I lace my fingers through hers and squeeze, she squeezes back and I close my eyes.

My heart and head both hurt along with my ribs and I just want to burst into tears, "any teachers you know are dead?" Beck asks carefully, like he doesn't want to know for real.

"Sikowitz." I whispered, remembering the grunting sound he made when I'd lodged my scissors in his head and the sound of the blade slicing though his throat, "he turned into a walker."

"Lane, too." Jade offered up, I watched her shudder, I squeezed her hand and she squeezed mine back and let out a shaky breath, "I saw Helen, too. I also saw Sinjin's sister Courtney. No Sinjin."

"I saw Sinjin in Canada." Beck offers up.

"I saw Berf in Oregon." Andre says, "alive."

"Sinjin was alive, too." Beck adds, I feel the van surge forward even faster then before and then slow down.

"Maybe we should switch drivers?" I ask. Beck agrees and Andre takes the drivers seat, before Beck could take the passenger seat I move up front, I need fresh air and he can just deal with it. Nobody says anything about it as I roll the window down and cool muggy air washes over my face, calming me down a lot.

"Anyone find a new group? Anyone interesting? Cool zombie kills?" Andre asks.

"Jade and I killed a bunch of zombies with a nail gun…and I used a pair of scissors from Jade's locker to kill S-a zombie." I bite my lip as a fresh wave of sadness washes over me. I close my eyes and lean back against the seat trying to calm down as fresh air hits my face.

"I never found a new group. Just my family." Beck said.

"I found a new group, nobody really interesting, but they enjoyed taking out walkers, but it was fun at first for me too, then it just got really obnoxious and then painful." Jade admits.

"I found a group, too." I offer up, "some guys and a daughter." I shift in my seat, my back dully aching as if reminding me of them. Andre tells us he never found anyone else but he tells some fun stories he'd heard from his cousin and passing groups.

After awhile we give up, turn the radio on and listen for any signs of life while Jade and Beck fall asleep in the back. When I'm sure they're out cold I turn to Andre, "how are you?" I ask him. He looks back at Jade and Beck who are stretched out on the seat, Beck holding Jade to his chest protectively and Jade with her back to us.

"I'm okay, I'm adjusting. I'm terrified that Haven doesn't exist, I don't want this to be it from now on. I don't want to fight for my life every day and worry about running out of food or zombies killing me in my sleep."

I reach over and take his free hand in mine, running my thumb across the back of my hand, "sometimes I just wish I could wake up form this." I murmur, mostly to myself, "but then I wake up and realize this is it, this is life, and sometimes I just want it to be done with."

"Tori you're not going to…"

"Of course not, not unless I get bit." I whisper, biting my lip when we go over a bump and my ribs start to hurt. Jade and Beck are awake now and they're pushing up into sitting positions, still close to each other. Andre rolls to a stop and we stare up at the large electric fence before us, along with three more cars of people.

There's a sign on it that tells us what channel to set our walkie talkies on, Andre hastily sets it and we wait two seconds before a voice crackles over the radio.

_Welcome to Haven, you'll have to wait five minutes in case walkers emerge and then continue into our checkout center. There you will be inspected for the virus and passed on to either the clinic or the town. You will be assigned a house with your group and an ID number. We're happy you've made it._

My heart leapt into my throat and I turned to look at Jade and she was looking at Beck so happy and I could only let myself be a little upset as I turned to Andre and he smiled at me, squeezing my hand as if to say 'I know, it's going to be okay'. The gate rolled open and all of us rolled into it. The gates rolled shut behind us and we just sat and waited.

_Please remain in your cars, windows up. Someone will be over to get you soon, thank you for your patience. _

As we waited my stomach tangled in knots, I crank my window up., I was nervous about this new part of life and I realized I might be alone now, no Jade, no Beck, no Andre. New life with new people who might have more in common with them then I do.

A hand taps on my window and I roll it down, a man in a suit looks into the car and around at my feet, "how many are with you?"

"Four."

"Is anyone injured?"

"I am, everyone else is fine." I knew I was going to regret it. I was asked to stay in the car while everyone else unloaded, Jade offered to take my bag and then we handed over our weapons and finally two guys in hazmat suits came to get me out of the car.

"What is your injury?"

"Broken ribs." While I stood there I noticed that they were strip searching everyone and soon they were doing the same to me. I was given a hospital gown and each guy grabbed an arm and led me over to an elevator. It took me up to the tenth floor of a really clean looking building and I was place in my own room.

The doctors drew blood, gave me some pain meds and hooked me up to an IV and a heart monitor. They took my vitals, took my name and then gave me my ID number. Two hours later I was moved underground to my own private room with the 'sick but not infected' and told I'd be here until I recovered.

I was alone, just like I'd predicted, just under different circumstances. Tears poured from my eyes freely after that realization and I couldn't stop, but eventually I curled on my side not caring about the pain and sobbed against a pillow.


	6. Chapter 5

**_Title: _Haven**

_**Summary: **_**The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. Even if the music I'm listening to is upbeat and catchy. Even if the radio promises a safe place to sit this out. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive.**

**_Rating: _T (but maybe M, I'm not really sure where this should be)**

**_Disclaimer: _I do not own Victorious, just the idea for this story.**

**_An: _To give a small warning, I am not a fan of Beck right now so there will probably be zero bade/bori in this story, as for other pairings anything can happen. Probable Jori, Jandre and Tandre (mostly friendship). Other ships TBA. **

Chapter 5

Solitary confinement was boring. I basically had to sit around and stare at a wall. I was going to crazy if I was in here for another hour alone, I was wishing for a doctor to come in. Honestly I'd love for even a walker to come in, anything to give me some sort of stimulation. My brain was going to turn to mush soon, if it hadn't already. I'd been in solitary for the two weeks I've been here; the only contact I got was a doctor and some guys in hazmat suits who came to give me food.

I was allowed to have something to write in, but I didn't trust them not to come in and read it so I wrote random words, just to make sure I could, and then I practiced my cursive and wrote random names. And then I started making a list of every person I knew was dead, after the recent trauma they'd put me through with some meds I was allergic to. No thinking about that now though. List, list think about the list.

The list included my parents, Trina, Sikowitz, Lane, Courtney Van Cleef, Beck's parents, Jade's brother, a man named Wesley Dade, Helen, Jayson Smith, my boyfriend, Ernesto Johnson a guy that had been traveling with my old group before I got there, Andre's family. My list stopped there, because I truly couldn't think of anymore. It was lying on my bed while I paced at the foot of it.

I was still in a hospital gown and a pair of really uncomfortable scratchy white underwear. My feet were bare and the cement floor was cold, much like the rest of my room. If you wanted to call it that. It was four walls, a ceiling and floor made of cement and tile with a tiny little cot and toilet in the corner.

I scowled at the stupid toilet and wanted to kick something but my only options were the concrete wall, the metal door, or the cot-the toilet was not an option as it was full- and I didn't have any shoes on. I didn't have any shoes to my name. They confiscated our clothing and burned it all because of the zombie blood on it so all I had was this hospital gown until I was released.

Nobody had been to visit me; the doctor never answered me when I asked if I was allowed to have visitors. He'd always just change the subject to my healing ribs and the cold I'd gotten, if you wanted to call that mess a cold. But now my stupid ribs only hurt a little bit and there was no bruise and I didn't have a cold and I just wanted out of this stupid room.

The door sliding open interrupted my little pacing session, "Oh joy, Doctor Woods." I spat when he walked in, flanked by two people I didn't know. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared them down in annoyance.

"Victoria, my favorite patient." Doctor Woods greeted me, giving me his most charming smile. I scowled at him, "Victoria these are my assistants Doctor Matthews and Doctor Levinson."

My eyes flicked between the three doctors. Doctor Woods was tall with short black hair and blue eyes and a rather charming appearance. I'd probably think he was pretty hot if he wasn't the person trapping me in this hell.

Doctor Matthews was a woman with red hair and brown eyes; she was average height with a severe face. She didn't look like a nice person and I didn't wish to get into a fight with her, right stay clear of her when I have a freak out.

Doctor Levinson looked really familiar. I narrowed my eyes at him trying to figure out who he was, "where are you from, old guy?" I asked, he looked flabbergasted and I started to laugh, "You patched up my friends puppet and faked his death and rebirth for us."

"Victoria are you feeling alright?" Doctor Woods asked, but Doctor Levinson stepped forward and explained the situation to him, "you never told me that." he sounded mildly disappointed.

"I don't like you." I stated bluntly.

"So his charm finally doesn't win someone over." Doctor Matthews laughs gleefully. Doctor Woods face falls and Doctor Levinson looks slightly amused, "may we see your ribs?"

I shrug and untie my gown, covering my chest while the three examined my ribs, "we'll need to get some x-rays. Sit in this chair." They pull in a wheel chair and force me to sit in. I'm rolled down a hallway with a lot more metal doors. More sick could-be walkers. At the end of the hallway I'm put into an elevator and taken upstairs.

I saw the first rays of sunlight in two weeks; they splashed across my body and chased away the icy cold feeling I'd had from being underground for a few seconds. A smile erupted across my face and I stopped arguing with them as they put me down on a bed to do the x-rays. My only other protest came when they wheeled me back downstairs.

"We can give you clothes now, and you do have a visitor request, she'll be here in twenty minutes." They set a pile of clothing on my bed. I notice my note is still on the bed and when they leave I rush over to the pile of clothing.

I strip out of the hospital gown, grab the bra and hook it on and look at the underwear. These are a lot softer then the pair I'm wearing so I quickly change out of them and shimmy into the pair of cargo pants left with them. The door slides open before I'm finished changing.

"I forgot about that scar." I turn my head to see Jade standing in the doorway in a similar pair of cargo pants and a grey shirt like the one in my hands. She walks forward and runs her finger down it without my permission. I shudder when her cold fingers trace down my spine, "how'd you manage not to get paralyzed?"

"Dumb luck." I tell her spinning around, "look no more ugly bruise!"

"Aww, how will you remember me?" she teases.

I tug my shirt over my head, "I don't think I could forget you if I tried, Jade." I tease. She smiles at me and walks over, putting her arms around me without warning in a crushing hug. I return it happily, joyous over having human contact with someone not a doctor.

Jade sits down on one end of my bed and I sit on the other, shoving the note into my pocket, "so what's it like out there?" I ask.

"Well it's a tight schedule. Army almost, or what I'd imagine army to be. School, work, food, housing. I've got an empty bed at my place with your name on it. Literally." She laughs, "It's been really boring. Beck found a girl friend I guess they just clicked. Andre is usually with his cousin. Oh and when you get out I need to show you something. You leave tomorrow, right?"

"I don't know they don't tell me anything!" I raise my voice at the end, knowing that they'll hear me. Jade rolls her eyes at me and picks at the invisible lint on her pants, "hopefully I'm out of here soon, I'm all healed up so I don't see why they can't _let me out!_" I yell, Jade shakes her head and laughs.

Jade stays and tells me stories about people she's met and then explains that they have different jobs for everyone and she's waiting to do her training until I can. She tells me about how Beck and Andre have become scouts, who basically go out every few days to search for people.

When she leaves I lay back on the bed and just stare at the ceiling, tapping my feet on the bed and humming to myself, "here I am, once again, feeling lost but now and then. I breathe it in, to let it go. And you don't know where you are now or what it would come to if only somebody could _hear! _When you figure out how, you're lost in the moment you disappear."

"You don't have to be a afraid to put your dreams in action, your never gonna fade you'll be the main attraction, not a fantasy, just remember me, when it turns out right cause you know that if you live in your imagination tomorrow you'll be everybody's fascination." Andre finished from the door way, grinning at me.

"Hey, Andre." I grinned back at him and he came over and gave me a hug before sitting down on my bed, "how are you?"

"I'm fine, how are you? You must be going bat shit crazy in here." His eyes scan the walls and the small space given to me, "I hope you get out soon, it can't be healthy for a person to be trapped down here."

"Not really, but they gave me paper to write, I suppose that's a method of keeping me sane. All its done is made me make a list of people and write down lyrics to songs I used to love."

"Well at least you still remember the songs, I can't stay for long, just dropping by before we go out and scout. I'll see you when you get out." He gives me one more hug and leaves, after he's gone I feel more empty and annoyed then I had before. I started singing again; going through every song I could come up with. I wasn't going to be released tonight and I finally gave up on annoying them and curled up on my side to try and sleep.

The next morning I was woke up by a doctor poking my arm, "Miss Vega, we need to draw some blood and run some labs." I held out my arm and allowed them to poke me with a needle and then they left quickly so I couldn't ask any questions. It was really rude.

I gave up on them every letting me out again, I picked up my pencil and paper and started scribbling random words on paper, they soon turned to lyrics and the greatest song ever popped into my head. Or maybe not the greatest song, maybe the most perfect.

"I eat boys up, breakfast and lunch. Then when I'm thirsty, I drink their blood, carnivore animal, I am a cannibal." I started to sing as loudly as possible, trying to keep my laughter as contained as possible. This was probably going to doom me, but I was dying down here, "whenever you tell me I'm pretty, that's when the hunger really hits me. You're little heart goes pitter patter I want you liver on a platter. Use your finger to stir my tea and for dessert I'll suck your teeth. Be too sweet and you'll be a gonner I'll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer."

"I eat boys up, breakfast and lunch then when I'm thirsty I drink their blood. Great song Vega."

"Jade! Sarcasm! I missed you, I'm loosing my mind down here, going crazy I tell you!" I rant like a raving lunatic but I don't have the mind or heart to care right now, she rolls her eyes at me and I smile, "any idea when I'm getting out of here?" I ask with a hopeful tone in my voice. I really want to be out of this hell hole.

"Yeah, actually. Put these shoes on, Vega." She tosses a pair of boots at my feet and I look back up at her and pretty much throw myself at her. She catches me easily and stumbles back a bit from the impact, "I could kiss you!" I yell, letting go of her and putting the boots on. After that I follow her out to a different elevator. This is the one I came in through the first time.

Jade leads me through the small gate into what I assume in the town. We pass a huge airplane hanger and she explains that that is called the Center, where guards and scouts train. She also points out the school, a big building in the middle of town, and explains that the houses are put into lots, each having three houses and in each house is the group that came in together until they paired off with someone and then the moved to an apartment on lot 12.

We lived in lot 4, house 6. We shared it with strangers since the rest of our group moved on to live with other people. My bed was beside hers in a room upstairs, three doors down from the others. My bed had a new set of clothing on it, a toothbrush, paste, a small booklet, hair brush and a hair tie.

"The booklet explains the jobs around here. Scouts go out, like I told you, once every other day. Nurses help the in town sick, teachers teach, sitters baby sit kids and guards watch over the grounds and take out zombies that get to close. The guards also police the town. We eat at 5, 12, and 7, so you missed lunch. Lights out is at 10, we do zombie drills every two weeks and we're assigned a group to leave with. I'll introduce you to them later."

"What job are you doing?" I asked, though I already suspected she'd be training to become a scout. That was what I was picking too.

"Scout." Jade replied, "not like you couldn't already guess. Now go brush your teeth, your breath is rancid. And maybe a shower would be good, borrow my soap. Your towel is purple."

I do as she says and change into the clean close, feeling a thousand percent better as I tie my hair into a ponytail on the top of my head. Jade is sitting on her bed reading, she looks up when I come in, "so how do we go about picking our jobs?"

"Glad you asked." She led me through town to the Center, we walked in and went up a set of stairs to a small office space. There was a plump woman sitting behind a desk, she glanced up when we entered, "Janice." Jade greeted.

"Good afternoon Jade, finally ready to pick a job? And is this Tori?"

"Yes and yes." Jade replied, "Tori this is Janice, she's in our group and lives in the house with us. Janice this is my friend Tori."

"Nice to meet you." I said, she smiled at me but was busy pulling a huge book out. She slipped through pages quickly. She stopped on V and looked up at me, "sign your name and job." I scribbled my signature and wince at how autography it looked compared to the other chicken scratch in the book, I wrote Scout beside it.

She flipped to W and Jade signed, her signature was just like mine, more of an autograph, she scribbled scout beside her name, "can I see the dead list?" Janice nodded and pulled out a bigger binder, passing it to Jade. Jade walked over to a couch and dragged me with her.

She flipped through a few pages to a page titled 'V', "I figured you'd want to put their names in yourself." My parents and sister. I nodded and wrote down their names with a shaking hand, I thought I'd gotten over it, but I guess I was wrong. I pulled out my list and flipped to certain pages to fill in other names I'd gathered on my paper.

"Anyone I know in here?" I asked.

"Carly Shay, Spencer Shay. Shelby Marx, I know you don't know her, but some people might note how similar you two are. Uhm, Steven Carson is in there. No Cat or Robbie so far, nor mention of anyone that matches either description."

"That's good." I closed the book to keep from searching for other people I knew and Jade took it back to Janice who handed her two slips of paper. Jade shoved one into my hand and stood in front of me reading hers. I looked down at mine. It was a slip telling us to go to the center to be examined and placed into a proper training class.

I followed Jade down and a large burly man who asked me why I looked so much like Shelby had us spar to see how good we were at combat, then he had us fire different weapons.

"You two are the most proficient people I've had come through here in months. I don't think you even need training except for protocol. Read over these books and in the morning I'll test you and place you in a group, hopefully together." We started to walk away and the guy grabbed my arm, "sorry if I freaked you out with the Shelby thing, you two just look so similar."

"It's alright; you were her trainer, weren't you?" I asked, he nodded slowly and I patted his hand softly, "sorry for your loss." He gave me a smile and then let me follow Jade back to our house.

It was weird to see the sun and walk around freely and not really worry about a zombie jumping out and trying to kill me. But Jade walked with such care free happiness it was astonishing. She was actually smiling, which scared me to see. I'd hardly ever seen Jade smile.

It was gone as soon as she opened the door to our house and spotted a large, overweight man passed out on a chair, "that is Hank, I hate him. He's a disgusting pig so sleep light." Jade warned, glaring at him as she walked up the stairs, I followed her quickly, not wanting to meet this man alone.

Jade crawled into her bed and I shut the door before crawling into mine. This bed was so much more comfortable then my cot. I stretched out across it, stretching my arms, legs and body until it felt pleasantly stretched and then I curled up on the bed and looked over at Jade who was reading.

I stare at her for a good 10 minutes before giving up, "So is this all we do?" I ask, rolling onto my back to stare at the ceiling since Jade was clearly giving her book all of her attention.

"Yep. This is it. It's not as bad as you think, but I guess things change once we go through training, if we have to. Those guys are hardly ever home, and when they are-." She chuckles mirthfully, "well I'd leave them be, it's been a long time since they've had a girlfriend and the uninterrupted time."

It doesn't take much with Jade's tone to get what she implied, "I miss sex." I mumble, feeling very jealous of the two guys. It might not have been on my mind lately, but it had been _5 months. _And well, everyone has urges once in awhile.

"I would never have expected that to come out of your mouth, Vega." Jade laughed at me, finally setting her book down, "I'm sure you'll meet a nice boy. Or girl. Whatever flicks your Bic. But for now, mind off sex and on reading."

She tossed the protocol book at me and picked hers up again. For the next few hours we read and read and read. At 6:45 the lights in the house flickered and there was a beep and a monotone voice announced "dinner. Fifteen minutes."

Jade tossed her book away and slung her legs out of the bed, standing in one fluid motion. I stood too, trying to shake some feeling back into my legs from the awkward position I'd been laying in, and then I followed Jade down to the mess hall. It was full of people.

Everyone got into a big line and flowed through the line smoothly. Jade dragged me over to the Lot 4 table. Hank was there, and Janice, and two surprisingly familiar faces, "hey Sam, Gibby." Both glanced up when I said their names. Gibby gave me half a smile and Sam just nodded her head before going back to their food.

"Hank this is Tori, Tori this is Hank." Jade said, pointing at the man as she shoved me down beside Sam, far away from Hank. Jade sat beside me, squishing the four of us onto one side of the table while Janice and Hank took up the other side, with lots of room to spare, but even Janice was sitting apart from Hank.

"Hey sweet thang." He purred, giving me a nasty look that made my skin crawl.

"I'll rip your throat out with my teeth." I snarled in the most vicious voice I could muster. Both Sam and Jade looked at me in shock. Sam slapped my back in an almost proud way and turned back to her food.

"Nice balls, Vega." Jade said around a mouth full of her dinner, she introduced me to three other people at the table, a tall slender woman with dark brown eyes, curly hair and a tough vibe about her named Katherine. A man with spiked brown hair and blue eyes named James and Greg, a shorter guy with a helluv a lot of muscle and a serious scar across his eye.

These were to be my group mates, along with anyone that came to fill the other house, Beck and Andre, incase of an attack on the camp or until we died. With the exception of Hank, who not only creeped me out but was absurdly overweight, and Janice who looked like she'd freak out if she broke a nail, I couldn't say my group looked too bad.

I finally looked down at mine, peas, bread, potatoes, and ground beef slop. I ate without question, and silently at that. Sam, Gibby, Jade and I were done quickly and retreated back to the lot, sitting outside on the front steps of Sam and Gibby's house.

"So how long have you guys been here?" I ask, sitting beside Jade on some steps, she was sitting above me, playing with my ponytail, I had no clue why but I wasn't going to ask, since she had it in her hands and I had no doubt some sort of sharp weapon was on her person.

"We got here the same day you did, but you were taken away so fast you didn't notice. What the hell happened to you down there for two weeks that was bad enough to stop any visitors from coming down there for anybody?" Gibby asked, Sam sat silently by his side.

"I had an allergic reaction to the medication they gave me and they weren't sure if it was that or if I was turning into a walker." I replied grimly, I'd been trying to keep the dreadful thoughts of that from my mind. It was filled with sweat, pain, bleeding from my scratches and just about every other unpleasant side effect.

"That really sucks. What was wrong with you that they dragged you down there? Jade refused to tell us, we thought maybe you'd gotten bitten." Gibby gave her a look, but she was focused on my hair.

"Broken ribs from being dragged into a van on the move from a zombie attack." I shrug my shoulders, turning when I hear footsteps crunching on the gravel.

"Another high alert." Hank mumbled, sounding almost saddened by that. The hair on the back of my neck rose to stand at attention. I wanted out of here ASAP. Maybe I could move out with Jade into a better house or something.

"Sounds painful, who dragged you into the van?" Gibby asked, his eyes flicked to Jade and I nodded, "any fun zombie kills?"

I glance at Jade, she's still being quiet, and so is Sam. It's kind of weird, but then again Jade was smiling not too long ago, "A few Wal-Mart zombies we got to behead were pretty cool. Other then that none really interesting. You?"

He launches into a story about a few zombies and I learn that he'd been with Sam, Carly, Freddie and Spencer on the outside. Jade didn't say anything about Freddie being on the dead list, perhaps he was here somewhere else. I wasn't going to ask, because clearly something was up between the girls.

Around 8 we went separate ways. I stood guard at our door while Jade showered and she did the same for me before I changed into a clean pair of clothes and crawled into my bed, the boots sitting beside it for quick access. I picked up the protocol book and continued to read until 9. Jade and I started quizzing each other on it.

It was basic stuff, at least to us, common sense. Like what do you do if someone is bit my a zombie? Shoot them. See a zombie? Shoot. Find someone that looks unharmed, keep them at a distance just in case, and bring them back quickly.

Lights out at ten meant Jade and I locking our door and laying down. I'm sure neither of us slept really well. I woke up at every little bump and had to pee a lot. It was pleasant to have a real toilet, a sink and a bathroom.

There was also a mirror, but I avoided that like it was diseased. I did not want to see myself right now. But then again who did. I knew I was flesh and bones and I didn't want to see it in a mirror, it was bad enough I saw a lot when I changed, though I tried not to look.

"Vega?"

I pushed open the bathroom door and stepped into our room, "Yeah?" Jade was standing beside her bed now and looked toward the bathroom, her shoulders slumped with relief and she sat down on her bed, "you alright?"

"Mmm, bad dream." She answered while I sat down on the edge of my bed. I patted the spot beside me and she instantly surged forward and crawled into the bed beside me, wrapping her arms around me and getting comfortable, just like we had been in the truck. It was comfortable and familiar. I fell asleep easily.


	7. Chapter 6

**_Title: _Haven**

_**Summary: **_**The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. Even if the music I'm listening to is upbeat and catchy. Even if the radio promises a safe place to sit this out. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive.**

**_Rating: _T (but maybe M, I'm not really sure where this should be)**

**_Disclaimer: _I do not own Victorious, just the idea for this story.**

Falling into a routine wasn't too hard. Get up, go to breakfast, go out with our group, come back, eat lunch, go back out, eat dinner, sleep, repeat. Our group was small; we had Andre, Beck, Jade, Sam, Katherine, Greg, and James. Gibby was a chef, so I saw him three times a day and after meals. Sometimes we would sit on the porch steps and talk before Jade and I went to our room, locked the door and stuck a chair beneath the handle.

We'd start in separate beds, but eventually one of us would end up wordlessly crawling into bed with the other. Eventually we just pushed the beds close together so it would give us more room so we weren't trying to sleep and not roll off the bed at the same time, which we'd done so many times it wasn't even funny anymore.

Today wasn't any different from any other day, we eventually woke up and rolled onto separate beds to stretch and wake up, Jade went to shower and I changed, having showered the night before. Once she came out I brushed my teeth, peed and went back to lace up my boots while Jade unlocked the door and pulled the chair out from under it.

We stood in front of the small sliver of mirror hanging over the dresser and pulled our hair up and out of the way before silently going downstairs, past Janice and Hank's rooms where they were still sleeping, and down to the kitchen, falling in step with Sam, Katherine, and Gibby.

Sam, Katherine, and I got into line to get food, a gross mash of food I couldn't be bothered to identify while I shoveled it into my mouth. There was silence as the others in our group joined us. James, Greg, Beck and Andre slowly filled the table, eating in a rush before we all headed out to the gates to get into our cars and go out in search parties. Something I really wanted to not do right now.

It was then that things started to get different, "you four girls, go in one car, you four guys, go in the other. We have one less team out there-someone caught the damn flu." The dispatcher muttered, clearly agitated that someone's immune system was so weak in times like these, where most of us sacrificed meals so everyone in town could eat some days, that we couldn't fight off the flu.

I just glared at her silently until she handed me the keys, after which I marched off to our car, scanned the back seat, dropped into the driver's seat and yanked my door shut viciously. Jade gave me a bland look when she got into the passenger seat while Sam and Katherine mimicked my vicious door slamming. When the gates opened I rolled out and went in the assigned direction, the old creepy abandoned feel of the houses around us no longer bothered me they way they used to. That was just how it was, everything was abandoned and only about 2000 of us were left in the United States. No hope, no joy, nothing. Just dead, dead, dead.

I scowled out the window, hating how grim my outlook had become. It was something I'd expect of Jade, not myself. But Jade seemed to have a nicer outlook on things than I did, it was humorous actually, if anything now could even been considered remotely funny. I didn't find anything funny anymore.

Everything just sucked.

I drove to the end of our limit and shut the car off, scanning the area for walkers while Katherine handed out guns. Stepping out of the car and onto the street was a tiresome process. I honestly didn't want to do this anymore. I turned to Jade and watched her tie her long sword into place before she checked her gun for ammo and put it into a holster. I kept mine in my hand and looked around.

"You two go that way; we'll go this way, meet back in ten." Sam ordered, she'd taken it upon herself to captain us all, and we didn't really care, so Jade and I walked off in one direction and Sam and Kat went the other way. Jade and I didn't speak, in fact the only sound between us was our boots crunching the gravel and the tapping of the hilt of Jade's sword against her belt.

I turned and looked at her briefly, pointing toward a house. She nodded and we went toward it slowly, making almost no sound. Jade's hand went to the hilt of her sword and my hand tightened around my gun. I spun the door knob slowly and pushed the door open gently. It scratched softly across the floor, but made no other side. There was no blood inside, or dead bodies, or really any damage other than looting.

Jade pointed to the right then the left. I shrugged, she went to the right and I went left. The left really meant walking into the living room and turning down a hall with three doors. The one on the far left opened to a bathroom, dead ahead was a bedroom, but the last door was shut.

This seemed strange to me, who had time to shut a door while running away? Jade and I hadn't even bothered shutting the front door. I turned around and saw Jade walking out from the kitchen, she raised her eyebrow stud at me in silent question. I tipped my head in indication that she should come over and turned to the door, stepping silently sideways so we were both standing in front of it.

She looked at me silently asking, 'why would it be open', I shrug 'I don't know'. She leans forward and grabs the door handle, putting her arm across my stomach and pulling me out of the way. I'm reminded of a movie where someone looked into a peep hole, opened a door and got their head blown open. Jade nervously twists the handle, crouched to open the door and avoid a possible gun.

Nothing happens except for a soft click, she stands and presses against the wall, flattening her hand against the door and pushing it open. When the handle hits the door we peer inside. There are a few bags inside, clothing spread everywhere and a mess of blankets on the beds, but no people. Jade and I stepped inside and explored.

The clothing was a mix mash of crazy things that were around the size range of a teenage girl and boy and a little girl. There was a journal but I didn't feel comfortable reading it, or letting Jade read it, so we just left, closing that door and the front door behind us as we walked. Sam and Katherine were already at the car. Sam got into the drivers seat when she spotted us and Jade and I got into the back, driving to the next destination and repeating our previous actions.

This time there was no house, the closer we got to the 'cleansing' the more we came across burned and charred roads and trees, the burned remains of houses. It was depressing and smelled disgusting. I hated walking through here and I hated that the smell never really left my nose, not until the burning.

Whenever the elderly or the sick die, they make us carry them out and burn them. I had the smell in my nose for weeks and I returned to the house and puked at least three times before I would finally curl up in Jade's arms until I passed out. I was thankful every time I watched someone walk out of the infirmary that I had one less body to burn.

"Vega." I turned and glanced at Jade, she was standing facing behind us, I turned and followed her stare into the burned out woods where two very scared kids were standing. I put my gun into my holster and walked closer to the woods, cocking my head sideways at them. Jade stayed close to me, I could feel her not even a step behind me.

"Are you two okay?" I called. One of the girls ducked behind the tree with a squeak, I looked to the other girl, "are you alright?" without answering she grabbed the other girl and hauled off through the woods. Without thinking I took off after them, Jade screaming at me to stop as she followed.

I followed the trail of footprints in the ash, coughing when I had ash cloud kicked up into my face. The kids were running back toward the house where we'd been before. I watched them slip in through the back door and stopped, Jade coming to a halt behind me, grabbing my arm, "are you a moron?" she hissed.

"Could be." I mumbled, "look." I pointed to a van that was sitting outside of the house now. Jade's eyes followed my pointing and she looked back at the sliding door. I glanced over at her and she sighed, pulling her sword. I started toward the sliding door, pushing it open.

I looked around, all of the doors were still open, and I heard a door to my right close. With a quick wave of my hand Jade leads the way in, sword drawn. As we get closer to the back room I can hear hushed whispers, just like before Jade pushes me behind her as she pushes the door open.

We both lean forward and look into the room. My heart jumps in my chest and tears well up in my eyes at the sight of the one red velvet haired girl. She's sitting behind a curly haired teen with the two girls huddled in her lap. "Cat…" Jade and I whisper together. Her head snaps up and she glared at us with hard brown eyes, her hand tightening around something, I rip my gun out on reflex and aim it at Cat. Jade raises her sword and an eyebrow in warning.

"Tori?" she whimpers, the hard edge in her eyes disappearing. I blink slowly, staring at her arm. She pulls her hand out, empty. She wraps her arms around the girls and kicks the curly haired guy in the side. He pushed himself up and looked around, blinking, "Robbie! It's Tori!" she moves the girls, jumps off the bed and runs at me. I quickly holster my gun and wrap my arms around her as she slams into me, we both stumble into the wall.

"Shapiro, we've got to move. Get your shi-crap together." She puts her sword away and looks over at Cat, who's sobbing in my arms, soaking through my shirt. She's a mess and slowly dragging me to the floor, "Shapiro, now." Jade says, turning away from him and leaning down to Cat.

She's whispers something to Cat that makes the girl let me go. Jade helps her to her feet again and hugs her briefly. Robbie quickly packs up their things while the girls sit on the bed and cower. I get up and grab the bags from Robbie without a word. He turns to the two girls and they each grabbed one of his hands. Jade took Cat and helped her out to the car.

In the car, Jade got into the backseat with Cat who was starting to calm down and I got into the drivers seat, Robbie buckled the two girls in, and then he got into the passenger seat. I started the car and went toward our second destination, when we arrived I was met with two guns pointed at us.

I shut off the car and glanced into the backseat where Cat was now calmed down, staring at the back of my seat with a vacant but angry expression. I pushed open the door and stepped out, the gravel crunching under my boots, heading for the two girls. Kat kept her gun pointed at Robbie, but Sam lowered hers and stepped toward me, glancing at the car with confusion, "what's going on?"

"We found Robbie and Cat, and two little girls. Call the guys and let them know we're going back early." Sam nodded and motioned to Katherine to get back into the car, I dashed back to the van and crawled into the drivers seat, "Jade, tell them what to expect when they get back. We don't need them to get super overwhelmed."

"Right, I _should _be the one playing nice with the kids." She grumbled, I glared at her in the rearview mirror and she snapped her mouth shut and turned around to face the girls, I completely ignored everything she was saying as I drove, pressing the gas pedal to the floor. I should feel happy, we found Cat and Robbie. We found Cat and Robbie alive.

Instead I feel like crap, like every thing's about to fall down on our heads. The sense of doom I feel is making my back ache. I slowed down as we approached the gate and stopped inside, "Do not move." I ordered.

Once the security guy checked everything I went through the inspection and headed straight for our house. Hank was sitting in the main room when I got there, which just made me feel four thousand times worse as I sprinted up the stairs, slamming the door shut behind me. I went straight to the bathroom, locked the door and leaned over the toilet, breakfast making a second appearance.

"Tori!" It'd been hours since I'd returned home, I'd expected Jade to storm in after me and yell at me for being a bitch, but she had yet to make an appearance. I'd been lying on my bed for about two hours in a pair of pants cut into shorts and a tank top, almost ready to fall asleep. Unfortunately I needed Jade for that. But now Cat was screaming my name, "Tori!" I rolled off of my bed and wandered to my door, yanking the chair out from under the door and unlocking it.

"What do you want, Cat?" I grumbled, pushing my fingers through my tangled hair.

"Jade was out doing a run and she got hurt and they dragged her to the infirmary and they wont let me down to see her. She didn't even look that hurt!" Cat was screaming.

"Go home. Go home and I'll come find you in the morning." I grab her arm and yank her down the stairs, throwing her out the door before running across the yard to the infirmary.

The two guards at the door gave me an unimpressed look, "go home, Miss." They order, turning their chins up at me. I glare at them and slam my fist into one of their shoulders, "Miss."

"Let me in, now." I demand, they continue to ignore me, I kick the other in the shin, "Let me in!" I need to see Jade, now. Everything inside me is screaming that I need to see her, to make sure she's okay. To make sure she's not a walker. To possibly say goodbye to Jade.

"Nobody gets inside unless they're injured. Go home." The guy I kicked in the shin demanded gruffly. I prepare to hit them some more, pulling my fist back to aim straight into the guys breastbone, when it occurs to me. Nobody uninjured gets inside.

I huff and send a weak punch to the guys stomach before storming off angrily, only to walk straight into a box, fall over it, scrape my leg and I'm pretty sure I bruised some ribs, and successfully injure myself. I let out an ear piercing scream and grab at my leg which has blood rolling down it.

The guards are quick to get some white suited guys to come haul me up and drag me into the building. They took me to what I'd relate to an ER where they cleaned up my cut and wrapped it. As they were wheeling me back to my room I heard Jade's voice. I waited a good two doors before I stood up, elbowed one of the men in the face and jumped over him, running back to the room where I slammed my hand on the sensor to open the door.

It started to slide open, slowly, aggravatingly so. When it finally opened enough I slipped inside and it seemed to realize this and slid closed behind me. I could only hope she wasn't infected. I was weaponless. I looked over at the bed; Jade was sitting on it, staring at me with her arm over her stomach, "I am so sorry I broke your ribs. I never want to inflict this pain on anybody."

"You're okay…" I whispered. She nodded and scooted sideways on her bed, patting it. I walked over and sat down next to her; she instantly wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into her, resting her cheek on my head. I closed my eyes and put my arm across her stomach, letting out a sigh of relief. Cat had scared the crap out of me and now everything felt better, not completely better, but with Jade I was safe.

Safe for now, but who knows how long 'now' would last. Hours, days, minutes? At anytime everything could come crashing down, and something made me feel like now was coming crashing down very soon, and I wasn't ready for that. It wasn't too much longer before I heard the doors slide open; I cracked one eye and saw the rest of the gang standing in the doorway, watching us.

"Well don't just stand there." Jade snapped, "You'll let the doctors in." Cat was the first to bolt in, diving into the bed, followed by Andre who found two wheel chairs to drag in and Robbie, who sat on the end of the bed with Cat. I let go of Jade and we sat up, Jade's hand finding mine and holding onto it.

I think I'd die without her; she had quickly become my best friend, my rock. I needed her, and god only knows what I would do if I lost her. I squeezed her hand and turned to Andre, holding my hand out to him. He took mine, squeezed it and kissed the back of it before letting it go.

"Something bad is going to happen." Beck said.

"Yeah." Cat agreed.

"But we'll make it through." Robbie commented.

"We made it this far." Jade shrugs.

I smile at everyone, "we'll be alright." Everyone was smiling and laughing. We were together.

And then the alarms went off.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Title: **_**Haven**

_**Summary: **_**The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. Even if the music I'm listening to is upbeat and catchy. Even if the radio promises a safe place to sit this out. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive.**

_**Rating: **_**T (but maybe M, I'm not really sure where this should be)**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do not own Victorious, just the idea for this story.**

**Please don't kill me. **

The alarms were meant to signify danger, more importantly to signify that zombies were entering the compound. My heart was in my throat, Jade and I surged off of the bed, Beck and Andre following us, we started to pound on the door, Beck and Andre slamming their boots against it. Cat was quick to wrap her arms around her knees and stared at the door.

Robbie sat and rubbed her back soothingly, watching us kicking at the door, when my wrists started aching I finally gave up, slumping down onto the floor and shoving my fingers into my hair, my nails crawling into my scalp, "Vega, no mental breakdowns." Jade demanded, nudging my leg with her own.

"I like mental breakdowns." I commented pulling my fingers from hair and leaning my head back against the wall; Jade sat beside me and stared up at the boys pounding and kicking on the door. I found the change hilarious. Usually it would be Cat, Jade and I doing some irrational like pounding on a door for twenty minutes, even though we knew it wouldn't help, while Beck and Andre would sit by calmly and wait.

After about ten more minutes the boys sat down, Beck beside Jade and Andre beside me, the alarms were still blaring like crazy, it was making my headache. I caved in and rested my head on Andre's shoulder, closing my eyes. He moved his arm and wrapped it around my shoulders, rubbing my arm soothingly. I felt Jade shift beside me, kicking her legs into mine, I cracked an eye open, she was leaning against Beck now. On the bed Cat was leaning against Robbie, hugging him as if he was a huge teddy bear, I closed my eyes again.

The alarm got louder and louder before eventually going silent or maybe we went deaf. Or maybe just me. I didn't move when it happened, I just leaned closer to Andre and sighed, I guess since I heard the sigh that I wasn't deaf. I just wanted to get out of here. In case of a zombie invasion we were supposed to return to our homes, unlock the safe-which Janice had the key to- get weapons and meet in our groups.

Sam, Janice, Gibby, Katherine and Hank would then to go a car-ideally with us, and leave, killing walkers and people as necessary. By now they'd be long gone, well, ideally again. Realistically they were probably running, maybe with a gun, I doubt with a car. They may have split up, Janice and Hank may be dead.

"I wish we could hear beyond the door." Jade groaned, "There could be people, or even walkers, outside the door and we wouldn't even know about them." She sounded angry and ready to punch something; I scooted a bit farther away from her and sighed again. My neck and lower back were starting to ache now; I shifted away from Andre and stretched across the floor until my back popped, "I just want to get out of here…"

"Everyone does, Jade." I mutter, "maybe we should try to get some sleep, someone keep watch while we sleep, then someone else wake up you know…" I suggest, fighting a yawn.

"Sounds like a good idea, I'll take the first shift." Beck offers, "I was asleep before I came down here so I'm pretty well rested." This leads to us dragging the mattress off of the bed and onto the floor. Cat, Jade and I pressed together with Andre behind Jade and Robbie in front of Cat, me snuggly in the middle with Jade's arm over my hip.

Everyone was asleep before I was, except for Beck, and Jade rolled over eventually, curling against Andre, I assumed. I managed to wiggle my way out and wandered over to the door where Beck was sitting. He nudged my shoulder with his playfully and gave me a forced smile, "for such a fabulous actor you really suck at fake smiling."

"Out of practice, sorry." He responded, "We're probably going to be stuck down here forever, you know?"

"Yeah." I whisper, and lean my head back against the wall, tilting it sideways to look at him. He looks beat up, rugged, tired. However you want to put it, he just looked exhausted. My eyes started to droop, hovering midway between open and closed, I yawned and leaned toward Beck, dropping my head on his arm, "I hate this. I hate being in enclosed spaces. I feel like I'm going to go crazy."

"Don't worry, we all will." Beck says, putting an arm over my shoulder, "maybe we'll get out of here, maybe…"

"I can only hope." I reply, sighing, leaning against him with my eyes half open, eventually I must fall asleep. The next time I wake up Jade is sitting beside me still in the hospital gown, I was in one two. It was freezing in here; it wasn't shocking since it was made of cement.

"Morning Vega." I closed my eyes for a moment and then sat up, pulling my knees up to my chest and taking a deep breath in, slowly exhaling, "you alright?"

"Freezing cold, but fine." I replied, "Any idea what time it is?"

"About 6."

"Good. The doors unlock at six thirty so the orderlies can bring us food." I tell her, standing up and glancing around the poorly lit room. The bulb in the wired lamp above us gave the room a yellowish glow that made me feel like vomiting. The bed was made out of shitty wire, which I could easily use as a weapon, if I could just get it off of the bed.

"Guys, wake up." I demanded, nudging Robbie's leg. He screamed and jerked awake, smacking Cat and Andre who both bolted up, jostling Beck out of his sleep. Jade sat in the corner by the door staring at us with a blank expression on her face, the gown drawn across her legs. I bend over the bed and start picking apart the wires that supported the mattress, they cut into my fingers but came off easy enough, I got all of them off and laid them on the floor.

"Vega, everyone can see your ass." Jade commented.

"Do I seem like I give a fuck?" I replied, dragging the bed away from the wall and closer to the door, "someone help me undo these screws." I plunked myself down on the ground and shoved my dress between my legs, starting to in screw the loose bolts.

Andre walked over to me and handed me a screw driver wordlessly, "put all of your weapons over here. Tori's obviously got a plan of some sort." I unscrewed the bed and pulled it apart tossing the small bits of metal bed frame into the pile. When I looked over there were two pocket knives, two more screw drivers, a knife, the bed frame, the wires and a nail file.

"The doors will unlock at six thirty, who knows what will be outside. The best route would be to go upstairs, get some supplies and clothes and take the stairs back down once we're done, find a car or something, kill what we can and get the hell out of here." I tell everyone, standing up and tying my dress a bit tighter, "grab something and get ready." I pick up the wire and stand by the door waiting.

At six thirty the metal locks click and the doors slide open.

We run out as fast as possible, in a few of the rooms others are backed against a wall staring out their doors scared shitless. I remember a time where I would have stopped and helped them from their rooms, but now I just kept running my eyes locked on the stair well, following Beck and Andre.

On the top floor it was dark, the sun hadn't come up outside yet, but it was quiet and still clean, which meant nothing had made it up here, "they have my clothes in here." I mumbled, pushing open a door. A florescent light flickered and illuminated the room, Jade and I stepped inside while the rest of the gang went down a few more doors. I dug around and found some clothes, tossing a pair of pants at Jade and pulling on a pair of my own.

"I really hope these are clean."

"I'm just glad I have pants." I tell Jade, pulling off the gown the rest of the way, "here's a shirt." I toss it over my shoulder at her without turning around and pull my own shirt on, feeling better now that I had clothes on my back. Jade found a bag and shoved everything she could into it clothing wise.

Following her down the hall we found the others, they had three bags of weapons and supplies. I stare out the window down into the compound. The sun is up high in the sky, there are dead bodies everywhere, some walking, and some lying, some dead, and some undead. My stomach twists nervously.

"Ready to go, Tor?" Cat inquires, I shrug my shoulder and she passes me a gun. I check the magazine, it's full, and I slide it back into place, making sure the safety is off before I swing the backpack onto my shoulders. Jade is standing with a gun in one hand and her sword in the other. She's standing by Beck. Andre is behind me and Robbie is checking his gun.

"We need to get there." I point across the compound to where a few cars are parked. But the keys are on the other side of the compound "someone has to get the keys. Who can run the fastest?" I turn and look at everyone assembled around us.

"Well, looks like it's you, Vega." Jade says, "I'll cover her ass. The rest of you just get through that damn gate and close it until we get there."

I sigh heavily, remove the bag from my back and hand it to Robbie, "alright, lets get this shit over with." Jade and I go down the stairwell first. We stand by the door as I mentally plan how I'm going to get there with the few bullets I have.

"I've got a reload; I'll make sure nothing gets to you."

"And where are you going to go to cover me?"

"Top of the first house. Get two sets of keys. Get them out, and then you come back for me." Jade replies, not looking at anyone else, she hands me two more magazine clips and some extra rounds before we turn to the door.

"We can all come back for you." Beck says.

"No. Just Tori, you guys need to get out of here fast, try and find anyone struggling; we'll catch up with you. Two cars are better than one." Jade isn't taking anyone's shit today, and Beck knows it, so he shuts up.

"Get beyond the gate. I'll climb over it. I'll grab whichever keys I can get to." I take a deep breath, "now, when I open this door, shoot anything that looks dead."

Jade rests her hand on my shoulder and gives it a brief squeeze before raising her gun and aiming at the door. I look around to make sure everybody is ready and then throw the door open, I shoot two in the head and bolt past them. My legs burn, my lungs burn. I shoot another one before rounding the corner. I kicked open the door to the center and sprinted up the stairs to Janice's office. I snatched every pair of keys I could and shoved them into my pockets.

I carefully crept down the stairs and toward the doors, they were everywhere. I put a bullet in ones head and darted through a few of them, heading straight for the gate. I managed to scan around; Beck was locking the gate, a walker hot on his heels. I heard a pop in the distance and he went down. I put a bullet in another walkers head and ran for Andre who was being overrun by zombies.

I put a bullet in two heads, then three more and grabbed one of my other magazines, shoving the empty into my pocket as I aimed at the one about to take a bite out of Andre. He shot me a thankful look before getting to his feet and hauling ass. "Cat!" I screamed, looking around for her bright red hair. I didn't see her, but I heard her.

"_Robbie!_" Cat wails, I spin, put a bullet in a walker and find her. She's raising her gun, her shoulder jerks from the force of the gun and a walker drops back, taking with it stringy chunks of Robbie's forearm. He looks horrified for a split second before looking her dead in the eye. Cat is crying, her arm is shaking, she aims at him. The sound of the shot makes me flinch, I watch his body drop. I'm staring at him when there's a second shot and Cat's body drops onto his.

"Vega!" blood splatters the side of my face and a body thuds onto the ground next to me. I look up to Jade and wave a hand and start toward the fence, turning briefly to look back at Cat before grabbing a link on the fence and starting to crawl my way up. I swung my leg over the fence, straddling it uncomfortably, looking back at my friends again.

I pull the keys from my pocket and toss a set down to Andre, throw another at Beck and walk down. I lost my footing, fell, and landed on my ankle. It cracked painfully; I fell to my knees, biting down on my lip.

"Tor? You good?" Andre called. I use the fence to pull myself up, nod quickly. I pull the last set of keys out and hit the alarm button; a blue ford focus started beeping. I hobbled over to it and unlocked the door, tumbling into the driver's seat. I slid the key into the ignition and turned it to start the car. It purred to life. Andre came to the passenger door, I rolled the window down and he tossed me a walkie, "304."

"Got it. I'm going to get Jade, you and Beck start driving."

"Where's Cat? Where's Robbie?"

"Robbie was bit." I could barely say the words, I was trying to choke down the sadness I was feeling, even after all this time of keeping my emotions in check. Andre nodded and stood up, walking slowly over to Beck. Once they got out the open gate I turned the car around and rammed it through the gate. I drove straight to the house Jade was in. She came down the stairs and dropped into the passenger seat, tossing her gun into the back. I spun the car back around and went straight out the gate behind Beck and Andre.

"Vega, you're crying."

"Yep." I ground out through clenched teeth, Jade reached over and patted my thigh, grabbing the radio as she pulled her hand back, "305." She spun the dial and called out to Andre and Beck, they called back to tell us where they were and we met up and kept driving.

"You know, Vega, its okay to bawl your eyes out."

"Not while I'm driving." I snapped, leaning my elbow against the window and using my fist to prop my head up while I drive behind Andre. Beck is speeding up ahead on the highway, weaving in and out of parked and abandoned cars.

"I met Cat in third grade. She was being picked on for wearing a bright green bow in her hair with a neon pink dress, she started crying." Jade chuckled at the memory, "I walked up and punched the boy in the face, grabbed Cat's hand, and we became best friends." She takes a deep breath and I turn to look at her, "and I just watched her put her gun in her mouth and pull the trigger."

I hit the breaks when Jade starts sobbing, covering her hands with her face. I radio for them to keep going and reach awkwardly over the seat to wrap my arms around her shoulders. She sobs into my arm, digging her nails into my bare skin painfully as her whole body shook. I held her, because that was the only thing I could do. There were no words that could be used, no 'I'm so sorry' or 'it'll be okay' because who knows, it probably wont be okay. She'll probably have to watch others die. She might have to watch me die. She might have to kill me. Beck could die, or Andre, or any of us.

She'd stopped crying and now she was just looking up at me, terrified, vulnerable and scared. I was scared, scared shitless, and I did it without thinking. I hook my hand behind her head and kissed her roughly, she somehow dragged me out of my seat and into her lap, my knees on either side of her hips. She kissed me hungrily, dragging my shirt up. Everything was rushed, messy, clumsy. Our elbows banged on the window, our feet kicked things, she smacked her head on the back door when we put the seat back.

We laid together for a few moments after, silent, sticky skin on sticky skin, breathing hard. The radio crackled and Andre's voice was faint. _Yeah. _Beck's voice followed,** I'm sure they're here somewhere.**

We both scrambled to drag our clothes back on, but they pulled up where they left us as we were tugging our shirts on over our heads, I was still straddling Jade's lap. _You two all finished here so we can get the fuck outta hear? _Andre's voice was laced with laughter.

**Or are we interrupting? **Beck teased.

Jade grabbed the radio with a grin up at me, "you're both just sad you missed the show, no need to rag on us for having a little fun." She put the seat back up and helped me slip back into the driver's seat. My elbow hurt from the window and my neck hurt from the awkward position we'd been laying in, but I felt much more relaxed than I had in months.

We took off again, silence between the radios for the most part. Every once in awhile one of them would pick up the radio and tell a joke, Jade started talking about Cat again, and I could hear the tremors in her voice as she tried to keep the smile on her face. I reached out and rubbed her thigh soothingly, trying to ignore the fact that I wasn't sad anymore. I had sex less than an hour after two of my best friends died, and I didn't care. This was the world I was living in, things died all the time, and I had to take the small things I could get.

_Abandoned house up ahead. _Andre said, we rolled to a stop and worked out a plan of entry, Jade and I went around back, the boys around front. We cleared the whole house and once we were sure it was empty we started to go through the small amount of supplies, afterwards Andre stole one shower, I managed to snag the other, leaving Beck and Jade to talk in the kitchen.

Grime swirled off of my body and down the drain, it was the color of rust, and it lasted forever. I grabbed the soap once the water was nearly clear and scrubbed my skin twice over, rinsed and did it again. Then I washed my hair, slowly massaging the shampoo into my scalp, knowing this would likely be my last shower in a few days, maybe even weeks. I rinsed my hair, grabbed my towel and stepped out of the shower, hooking the towel across my chest.

In the hallway Andre was lingering by the stairs, arms crossed over his bare chest, a towel around his waist. He'd gotten a lot more muscle since the last time I'd seen him shirtless, he was staring down the stairwell. I paused and listened, there was a sound of creaking, like the table, and a moan. Andre glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, "if they break the table they're cleaning it up." I comment, walking toward the room I'd claimed.

"Beck moved on fast." Andre commented, "and Jade."

"Jade moved on from what?" I turned and looked at him over my shoulder briefly, picking the bag up from the floor that had our clothes. I tossed the bag on my bed and unzipped it, finding a pair of pants. I dropped the towel and shimmied into them.

"What's that scar from?" he ran his finger down my back across my scar. I shuddered, goosebumps shooting across my skin, "saved a little girl from some sickos." I pulled my shirt over my head and turned around, smiling up at him. He smiled back at me; I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. His arms went around my back and he picked me up. I missed him, the way I felt safe in his arms no matter what.

"Do you mind sleeping in here with me tonight?" I whisper, leaning back so I can look him in the eye, "I don't like to sleep alone."

"Sure thing." He grins and sets me down, "so got some pants my size in there?"

"Yeah." I laugh, going to the bag and finding a pair. I hand them to him, he turns and drops his towel and slowly drags them up. I find myself eyeing his ass, and enjoying the way his back muscles moved as he did. I licked my lips unconsciously.

"Not happening, Chica." Andre tells me, "not today, anyways." He winks at me.

"I can wait." I tease back.

The sun is down outside now, Beck and Jade are asleep in one of the other rooms and Andre is doing sit ups on the floor. I'm sitting in the window, staring up at the clear sky and the large moon, remembering a time when Cat was sitting on my bed laughing at a joke Robbie was telling her over facetime. I was sitting by my window, looking up at the sky, the moon full.

She told me she had her first time with Robbie the next night after a trip to the movies and dinner. She told me she thought she was falling in love with him. I guess she had, too, because she didn't even hesitate after she killed him. I'd had my first time with Danny, it hadn't been all that pleasant. It was uncomfortable and awkward. His bed was small and he had racecar bed sheets, a flat pillow and action figures on the wall opposite the bed. They were staring at me.

"What are you thinking about so hard over there, Tori?" Andre was sitting on the bed now, staring at me with an eyebrow arched.

"My first time." I tell him honestly, "you know Cat's was Robbie? She thought she was in love with him."

"She was his first, too." Andre says, "my first was a girl named Sasha. She was perfect, I thought she was the one for me. Turns out, I wasn't the one for her. Was your first time with Jade?"

I snorted, shaking my head, "No. It was with Danny." I pulled my knees closer to my chest, "she was my first time in a car."

"Not the first time with another girl?"

"No." I bite my lip, "remember how Robbie and Cat broke up?" he nods and doesn't say anything. I can't bring myself to say it. To tell him how Cat came to me, break hearted and upset. "We got drunk and kissed me and she pushed me onto my bed. I didn't protest, and we never brought it up again afterwards."

"I always knew little red liked to be in control." Andre laughed.

"She was with Robbie, of course she was." I almost screamed when Jade spoke, Andre's head whipped around, I heard his neck crack. Jade and Beck were standing in the door in rumpled clothes with messed up hair, "but she really loved to be dominated the best. He was a freak." She crossed the room and dropped onto the bed next to Andre.

"He shoved his hand up a puppets ass on a daily basis and I've heard what he made that puppet say, I can only imagine what he says when he knows he won't get hit for it." Beck laughs, pulling a chair closer to the window. We talked about Cat and Robbie, the old days, fun things we remembered, for the next three hours before we dragged a bed into the other room and pushed them together, we all felt better being in one room, everyone within arms reach. Beck lay on one end, Jade next to him. Andre lay behind me and Jade and I had a small gap in the beds between us. I fell asleep listening to Beck and Andre snoring, my eyelids felt like lead and fell shut, the rest of the world becoming a distant memory.


	9. Epilogue

_**Title: **_**Haven**

_**Summary: **_**The world is no longer a happy sunshine place, even if the sun is still high in the sky heating the car. Even if the music I'm listening to is upbeat and catchy. Even if the radio promises a safe place to sit this out. The world we knew is gone, and now we need to figure out what this world is now. And figure out how to survive.**

_**Rating: **_**T (but maybe M, I'm not really sure where this should be)**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do not own Victorious, just the idea for this story. **

**Boom. Done. **

**Epilogue  
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April 15, 2019

It started on the East Coast of the United States. Some lab in Florida spilled some chemical, from there is spread from the US across the ocean and across to the West Coast. You could try to prepare, but all you were really doing was creating a sense of false comfort, because when that alarm went off, you didn't know it, but your life was over.

My family didn't survive the first week once it hit the west coast, but I did. I spent four months alone, with a group for a short time, and then I returned to my old high school to find my friends. Jade was the first one I found, I'd never been so happy to see someone who hated me four months before.

We found Beck and Andre, too, a day later and made our way toward Haven, Florida. Something about finding each other first drew Jade and I closer, at first it was just friendship, but after Haven was attacked and we all feared for our lives everything became a mess.

Between the four of us nobody was really a couple, it was just whoever we were interested in at the time, but soon Jade and I just didn't care anymore. It wasn't something we were looking for, we spent our nights sitting on the roof watch zombies, and the boys spent their nights hiding in their separate rooms doing things you can imagine.

We moved from state to state, some were more infested then others, some had small towns built, although most were over run and destroyed sometime shortly after they got there. Soon we all split up, Jade went south, Beck north, Andre east and I headed back west, craving a taste of home.

My house was still standing, and this trip I packed up all my things, some of my parents things, Trina's things. I sat in my bedroom and cried, and cried for two more hours driving away from the house. But that's when things started getting weird. Since this whole ordeal had started my period hadn't come, I wasn't eating right and everything was all screwed up. I didn't think anything about it.

But then my stomach started to swell. It wasn't fast, gradual, but it was bizarre because I wasn't eating anymore than I had been before. It took a few days for my situation to fully hit me; a child was growing inside of me. I tried not to panic, but I was alone, and in no state to be pregnant, I could hardly keep myself alive how was I going to carry a healthy baby? When I figured that out I turned right back around. I rebuilt my house, and that attracted a few humans and soon my neighborhood was filled with a few people.

The men put up a fence strong enough to keep the few walkers around out, people started planting gardens to make food, kids started getting lessons from a retired teacher in my house, and I just sat around and tried to make myself as useful as they would let me be. A rough guess put me at three months pregnant when I figured out what was going on, which was confirmed when six months and three weeks later I gave birth to a little boy with chubby tan cheeks and dark eyes.

His whole face reminded me of Andre, it was painful at first too look at the child version of my best friend, but having a little child around managed to brighten up my spirits and Dominic provided endless entertainment with his shenanigans. The pain and sadness that had always been at the edge of my mind was pushed farther back. He was my world.

He was two when things changed. He was at school while I did a patrol of the fence looking for people in need of help or walkers in need of dispatching, that's when I found the little boy with the dark hair and tan skin, blue eyes shining. He couldn't have been more than three.

"Colton! _Colton!_" someone burst through the trees, tripping over her own feet, "Get away from him!" I had a gun in my face out of nowhere, I stumbled away from the boy, my hands raising in surrender as I met family green-blue eyes on a sunken pale face.

"Jade?"

"Tori?" her arm shook and she lowered the gun, "Tori oh my god." I rushed forward, crushing her small, frail body against me. She sagged against me, wrapping thin arms around me. I don't remember how we got back to my house, but somehow the three of us made it. Jade was in bed for weeks, trying to regain some strength.

And now, I'm sitting on my couch beside her, seven years after the outbreak reached California. The casual news played on the TV, people were coming out of hiding, rebuilding, restarting lives the best they could.

"Mom!" Colton bellows, rushing into the house waving a paper, "mommy! Look!" he flew onto the couch and landed on our laps, waving the paper in our faces, "I got an A!" Jade laughed, attacking his sides with wicked fast fingers as I snatched the paper from him.

The bright purple A at the top of his vocabulary was circled and had a smiley face next to it. I escaped the couch and went to the fridge, pinning the paper up on it, "where's your brother?" I asked, turning toward the door.

"Outside. He's with that dog again." I rolled my eyes and wandered toward the door, leaning on the jamb watching Dominic sitting at the end of the driveway petting a stray dog.

"Nic, just bring the dog in already. Have your brother help you bathe it." He turned around, eyes about to bug out of his head, grabbed the dog around the neck in a hug and the pair raced inside. Colton rushed off the couch and followed him into the bathroom with the dog.

I sunk down on the couch beside Jade again, stretching my legs out onto the table with a sigh. From down the hall we could hear the boys screaming with laughter. Jade and I looked at each other at the same time. Her hand flew to her nose, "not it!" she yelled.

With a groan I dragged myself back off the couch and down the hall, Jade laughing behind me happily as she turned on some random rerun from years ago. I pushed open the door to the bathroom and instantly got sprayed with water, both boys dropped what was in their hands and froze.

The dog was covered in muddy looking soap standing in the middle of the bathroom while Colton and Dominic were inside the tub. I rolled my eyes and shut the door, grabbing the shower head to rinse off the dog in the middle of the floor, the boy shrieked with laughter as I dumped the dog in the tub with them, I heard Jade's feet coming down the hall.

I pressed my finger to my lips and they bit down on theirs to keep from screaming with laughter as Jade opened the door, I sprayed her with the shower head, "you're going to pay for that, Vega" and she ran at me, snatching it from me as she wrapped an arm around my waist and held the shower head against my head.

The world was becoming a happy sunshine place again, the sun was high up in the sky, the music from the living room was upbeat and catchy and we no longer needed a safe place to sit out the infestation. The world we knew was gone, and a new world was beginning. And we survived.


End file.
